Entwined Destinies: The Last Son and the Slayer
by ben10987654321
Summary: A/U. After the destruction of Sunnydale Buffy needs some time alone to think and ends up in Smallville. Post the BTVS finale Chosen. Post Smallville Season 7 Bizarro. Now Complete.
1. Part 1 Chapter 1

**Entwined Destinies: The Last Son and the Slayer Part 1**

Summary: After the defeat of the First and the destruction of Sunnydale Buffy needs some alone time and ends up in Smallville. After defeating Bizarro, Clark is trying to come to terms with Lana's death. There is no Kara. Lex miraculously survived (doesn't he always) the dam bursting and is away recuperating from his injuries.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I just borrowed them for a while.

Author's note: I have now revised and updated the story. My thanks to those who pointed out my errors. Constructive criticism is always welcome. This is the first story I wrote for this site and I chose a Clark/Buffy pairing out of the fact I couldn't find enough of them that I liked. So to correct that fact I wrote this. Enjoy this and part 2 that I am currently in the process of writing.

* * *

Clark is sitting in the Talon with Chloe. It is the first time in weeks he has left the farm. He has spent his time working out what future he has now. Both Lois (why can't she leave him alone?) and Chloe have been trying to get him to come out. They're good friends Clark thinks even Lois. How long has it been since Lana died, 3,4 weeks. He told her his secret and she died again but this time he can't go back and change it. Last time he did that, his father died in her place. As Jor-El said one life has to be exchanged for another. If he went back again who would he lose instead, his mother, Chloe, Lois. As much as he loves, loved Lana he won't do that. He looks up from the drink he is staring into and looks at Chloe. She's the only one who sticks with him. His secret drove Pete away but Chloe stays, she came to visit him these last few weeks even when he hasn't be very accommodating. She really is a good friend. Despite her own recent death and resurrection she never stopped trying to cheer him up. A few days ago he decided she was right and that he was wallowing.

Flashback to a few days ago.

"Clark you have got to stop blaming yourself," Chloe pleads to her friend.

"Chloe, I should have protected her. I told her the truth and she died again."

"Clark, you can't save everyone and besides you were not the only one keeping secrets," she tells him.

"What are you talking about Chloe?" he asks a little puzzled.

Chloe hesitates for a moment. "After that low level employee confessed, clearing Lex, I did some investigating," she mentions.

"What did you find?" Clark enquires.

"Not much, Lana had gotten very good at covering her tracks. However, it seems she siphoned off millions of dollars from Lex into a hidden account."

"She was planning to leave Chloe," Clark says trying to justify Lana's actions.

"When did sweet, innocent Lana start stealing money that wasn't in her joint account with Lex," Chloe points out.

Clark is stumped there. Had she really changed that much without him noticing? Was Lex's darkness contagious or something? Shortly after Chloe left that day Clark took what possessions of Lana's he had left, put them a box and decided to get on with his life.

Back in the Talon Chloe is working on her laptop.

"What are you working on?" Clark asks Chloe.

Chloe somewhat surprised Clark is even aware of anything lately. "Research on Sunnydale, you know that town that mysteriously disappeared into a sink hole," Chloe says using her fingers to air-quote the word sink hole.

"Yeah I saw that on the news. Wait do you think it wasn't an act of nature?" Clark enquires.

"I've been looking at all the information I can find and on the weirdness scale it almost makes Smallville look normal," Chloe informs Clark while not looking up from her laptop.

Clark goes back to his drink. If only Smallville was normal he thinks. "Why the interest?" he asks Chloe.

Chloe looks up. "Oh the new girl that works here is from Sunnydale, we've talked a couple of times. She said she wanted to get away from weirdness for a while and I told her that she was in the wrong town for that."

Clark chuckles. Chloe smiles at his first smile in weeks. She had been hating not been able to help with his pain over Lana. Why does he always blame himself for everything she'll never understand. She notices Clark's eyes have moved towards the door as the new blond girl walks in.

Wow she's pretty, no beautiful, no stunning actually, wait Lana just died, the last thing Clark needs is another relationship but there is an indefinable something about this girl and for some reason Clark needs to find out what.

* * *

Buffy wakes up to yet another destroyed alarm clock. Sometimes this slayer strength is a pain. As she showers she remembers how she got here. She's on the bus as they travel away from Sunnydale.

Flashback

She survived again but now what, Spike is dust and she's suppose to what? Lead an army of slayers against what now. The thing that created evil challenged her and she won. She lives in the world but she's not part of it.

"I needs to go away for a while," Buffy suddenly announces.

Xander wakes up from his nap. "What?"

"I need to go away. I need time to think alone," states Buffy.

Faith never slow to add an opinion "This is because of Spike, look we've all lost someone, you just need to deal."

Willow pipes in. "What about the Slayers we need to find?"

"I'm not going away forever Will, just a few weeks to clear my head and Faith is perfectly capable of training the Slayers," Buffy says in answer to Willow's question.

Xander adds his view. "This is a bad idea Buff. Giles tell her this is bad idea."

Giles had been listening carefully. They were all certainly tired, exhausted really and Buffy most of all needed rest and a clear head. She was possibly one of the longest lived Slayers ever if you ignore her dying twice. She would be one of the leaders of this, well, army for lack of a better term. They were almost certainly hundreds worldwide, they all needed to be trained and more importantly taught to use their powers for good not evil. It occurred to him that Faith would probably be useful in that part. She had embraced darkness but had returned, if anyone knew how to avoid the darkness it was her.

Giles finally speaks up. "If Buffy feels she needs rest then she can do what she wants."

Xander is rather taken aback. "But Giles..." he begins to say before Giles cuts him off.

"Xander the time that I can tell Buffy what to do has long since passed. If this is her choice then I support it," Giles informs him.

"Thank you Giles," Buffy now wearily adds. God she needs some rest.

At the next town Buffy departs at the bus station.

Dawn and Buffy are talking. "You understand I have to do this," Buffy says to her sister really hoping that she does understand.

"I understand why you think you have to do this but don't expect me to agree," Dawn replies.

Teenagers! Buffy feels a migraine coming on. "Look Dawn I love you and always will but I need to clear my head. There's too much stuff up here," Buffy says as she points to her head.

"Too little you mean," Dawn smart-mouths back.

"Dawn please. I will come back. Giles has promised to get you into a good college and take care of you while I'm gone," Buffy almost pleads.

"Promise you'll come back and well do sisterly things together?"

"I promise."

Dawn then hugs Buffy in a complete mood change. Again Teenagers!

"You'll stay in touch. Tell us your alright," Willow asks.

"I'll see," Buffy answers rather non-commitmently.

Buffy then got on a bus at random really. When she saw the sign of Smallville, Kansas and realised she had never heard of the place she realised that this was perfect. It was basically in the middle of nowhere, as far as she knew nothing strange or supernatural happened here. She got a job in a café, really waiting tables again, oh well it pays for a roof over her head, just.

She had kept to herself really, trying not to give away too much personal information. She talked to this girl Chloe a couple of times, reminded her of Willow a little bit always on her laptop. It was funny Chloe was a reporter, the last person she should talk to considering she wanted to keep a low profile, but she just seemed trustworthy. Slayer instincts don't fail her now.

* * *

Buffy walks into the Talon and sees Chloe with like the hottest guy she had ever seen and considering who she had dated that was saying something. In a word, Wow. 'What are you thinking Summers?' she mentally reprimands herself. She is here to clear her head not fill it with yet another doomed relationship but she could ask for his name at least there was no harm in that, right?

Buffy walks over to Chloe. "Hi Chloe."

Chloe looks at her. "Oh hi Buffy."

'Buffy? What kind of name is Buffy?' Clark muses. Chloe is not introducing him so he coughs.

Chloe hears Clark coughing, looks at him and wonders how anyone who looks like him can be shy. "This is my friend Clark Kent, Clark Buffy, Buffy Clark."

Clark and Buffy both give rather awkward "Hi."

Buffy shocked at her own nervousness. "It's Buffy Summers and I've got to get started. Nice meeting you Clark."

Clark stutters his response. "Y-yeah you too."

A little time later, Buffy is working but Chloe notices the glances she keeps giving Clark and Clark is doing anything but look at Buffy. Chloe looks at her watch and starts to get up. "I've got to go Clark. I have shopping to do. That is if I plan to actually eat dinner tonight."

"Well that would be a change from the donuts you live off at the Planet," Clark quips.

"Oi! At least I don't eat enough to feed a Third World country," Chloe retorts.

Chloe picks up her bag. "Clark, you ok?" she asks genuinely concerned for his wellbeing.

"Sure Chloe, I'll see you later." Clark however is still thinking about Buffy but can't work out why. There is just something there, a sadness or maybe loneliness he saw in her eyes when she walked in that reminds him of the one he has been seeing in the mirror lately.

After Chloe leaves Buffy walks over to pick up her drinks and cleans the table. She has caught herself looking at Clark several times. The look in his eyes, the sadness, the loneliness. The same look she sees in the mirror every morning.

"I'm sorry about what happened to your home," Clark says to Buffy.

"What? Oh Sunnydale, yeah thanks." Really the only thing she misses there is her mother but Buffy decides to be polite.

"Chloe says you came here for some peace."

"That's right." And if anyone is listening that's a prayer Buffy thinks to the cosmos.

"Good luck," Clark points out. "I don't know if Chloe mentioned it but a lot of weird stuff happens here."

"Yeah she did, something about meteor rocks changing people but believe me compared to Sunnydale this place is about as normal as you can get," Buffy says not quite believing how open she was being. She had avoided at all costs talking about home to anyone. Ok well as long as she doesn't mention slayers, monsters, vampires or demons they'll be fine.

"They give people abilities, altering their DNA," Clark just sort of blurts out and then not believing he had just said that. Why doesn't he just tell her they have the power to kill him while he is at it. What was wrong with him? Why did he just blurt that out? Smallville's weirdness, while well known is just not talked about in public.

Buffy on the other hand is rather intrigued. "Like Mutants? Like in the X-Men movies?"

"Yeah, sort of," is Clark's rather lame reply.

Mutants. Buffy thought Sunnydale was weird but Mutants? Xander would love it here. He could finally use all that comic book knowledge. Giles had never mentioned Mutants could exist but then again his knowledge was about the supernatural not strange rocks from space.

"Next you'll be telling me that aliens exist," Buffy jokes.

Clark just smiles in return. Whoa! She is getting way too close. "Well I've got to go," Clark says standing up. "Like Chloe I have shopping to do." Not a complete lie he did need some things, nothing urgent but Clark needs to leave before he spills his 'I'm an intergalactic traveller' story to a virtual stranger.

As he walks past Buffy he notices actually how petite she is compared to him. Funny he didn't notice it earlier. She seems to have an aura that made her presence larger than her actual frame. She's certainly different maybe that's what caught his attention.

As Clark walks past her, Buffy suddenly notices just how tall he is. Funny she didn't notice it earlier. He seems like he wants to fade into the background and go unnoticed. She knows the feeling. His hand brushes past her and a shiver runs up her spine. There's something more to him, the slayer in her could sense it. Just don't be a demon she thinks. She really doesn't want to kill Clark because even in that rather short conversation he seemed like a nice guy.

* * *

Evening time on the farm Clark has been thinking all day about Buffy and not Lana. It bothers him. The love of his life is dead and he had spent all day thinking about another woman. Surely it's too soon. As lovely as Buffy was he knew a few things. There was more to her than met the eye, just call it a gut feeling. Around her this morning he had spilled the unspoken truth of Smallville's weirdness and he couldn't explain why. Normally it was months before he trusted someone enough to explain Smallville's secrets and years before he told them his own. If this morning was an example Buffy would know he was an alien by next week. Then there was Lana. The woman he had sacrificed his powers for and unfortunately he didn't need reminded how that ended. He died and his dads life was exchanged for his. He should really listen to Jor-El more often. Then it occurs to him, maybe now is the time to go for his training after all he did not have anything else to stay for. This was not a decision he should rush, he knew that. He should talk to Chloe and his Mum first and at all costs avoid Buffy Summers.

A few days later Clark had managed to avoid the Talon. He did not have anything against Buffy but his mouth seemed to have a mind of its own around her. He's eating breakfast and reading the paper. There had been several thefts in town by people with unnatural strength. Great Clark thinks, more meteor infected. Just once he would like to meet a nice one who would like to help him. Chloe walks in.

"Morning Clark," she says in her far too cheerful way for his mood.

"Morning Chloe," he replies. "So is Lois still hunting for Lex?" he asks in reference to Chloe's cousin whereabouts as of late.

"Yep. She says she won't rest till she finds this private medical facility he's in and exposes him for the and I quote 'bald headed megalomaniac' he really is."

Clark had to hand it to Lois. Once she was into a story she would pursue it to the bitter end or her end whatever comes first. At least this time he had avoided being dragged along.

"So reading about the thefts are you?" Chloe asks in a tone of voice he knows all to well.

"You want my help to investigate them. You believe meteor infected people are carrying them out," Clark states.

Annoyed by his tone Chloe replies "In case you forgot that includes me these days. Remember the fun day I spent in a morgue because I'm not forgetting it any time soon."

"I'm sorry Chloe," he apologises. God that was insensitive even for him. "I'll help you. Anything you want."

Chloe eyes lit up mischievously. "Anything?"

Clark knows that look. He's in trouble.


	2. Part 1 Chapter 2

Evening time. Buffy is left to lock up the Talon. Clark has been avoiding her she can tell. Maybe he senses something about her the way she does about him. She has been trying to engage Chloe in conversation trying to eek out information. She has found out that Chloe considers him her best friend. She admitted having a crush on him, who can blame her after all. Lets see what else, he's adopted, used to be friends with Lex Luther, like one of the richest people on earth but they fell out especially when he married Lana Lang, who according to Chloe, Clark has been in love with forever. Lana's dead now which explains why Clark was looking so sad the other day. In summary Clark seems normal and less likely a demon or some kind of hell spawn which is good for 2 reasons; first she is really tired of all this slaying stuff and second she likes Clark. Yes, she knows how that sounds, they met once, barely spoke, but she likes him. Why is her life always so complicated?

Three men then enter the Talon. "We're here for the money, hand it over and you won't get hurt too badly."

Buffy looks to the heavens. "Again! Why is my life so complicated?" she says to some unknown deity.

Patrol! That's what Chloe had suggested. Honestly what was he? The police? Clark mutters several insults about Chloe under his breath and continues to superspeed around Smallville. CRASH. Sounds to Clark's superhearing like a table breaking. He pinpoints it to the Talon and speeds off. He arrives to find 3 masked men, obviously the meteor infected thieves and one Buffy Summers on the floor having been thrown through a table. "Of course it would have to be her," he mutters along with several new insults under his breath.

"Are you going to hand over the money or pray to God for help?" one of the masked men asks.

"Actually I was thinking of kicking your butts and letting the police throw you in jail," is Buffy's rather straight to the point answer.

Buffy then proceeds to kick the nearest man in the stomach doubling him over. She throws a punch at the next man only to find it caught with surprising strength. The man then proceeds to take his other hand, grab her arm and flip her through a table.

Ok then. Not your average thieves. Buffy always one to love a challenge then proceeds to flip herself back up and this time she attacks using her full slayer strength. Rather quickly it's obvious that she's stronger and faster than these jerks and she soon has them on the floor groaning in pain.

"Told you I would kick your butts. Now if you'll excuse me I'll call the police," she informs them. She then walks over to the phone and dials.

Clark was just about to rush in, do his save the day, and then disappear before Buffy wakes up when he with some surprise watches her flip herself back up and proceed to quite expertly beat the crap out of the masked men. Clark watches, mesmerized really, as she moves with strength and speed beyond a normal person. For a human her movements would have been difficult to follow but for Clark of course it was easy. Watching her the only word Clark could think of was graceful, her movements, her body was fluid, changing and adapting. Then it hit him. He liked her.

Clark was dreaming of her; replaying the fight. He was as mesmerized in his sleep as he had been watching the whole thing for real. His alarm goes off. Clark wakes up to find himself floating above his bed. The instant he's awake he crashes down. Wow. He hadn't done that in a while is his thought as he goes to have a shower. Usually a shower helps to clear his thoughts but not today. He's confused, sure it's nice to know that finally there's someone else out there to help people but it left questions like what Buffy is. She was from Sunnydale, California so she couldn't be meteor infected. Perhaps she's like Bart or AC and it's just a natural ability. That just left the big question; what would he do now that he realised he liked her and how the hell can he like her after only meeting her once. It isn't like he doesn't believe in love at first sight because he does. In fact his mother told him once that that was what happened the first time she had met his father. He really needs some advice and there's only one person for that: Chloe.

Clark's arrival at the Planet resulted in the usual blowing of papers off Chloe's desk.

"You have to stop doing that," Chloe shouts rather annoyed.

"Sorry," Clark says as he helps Chloe pick them up.

"What brings you here this early?" Chloe asks.

"I need advice."

"Sure and hey did you get those thieves last night?"

"No," Clark replies.

"They're still loose." Chloe makes it more of a statement than a question.

"No."

"Ok. I'm confused."

"They're in jail but I wasn't the one who stopped them," he tells her.

"Who did then?" Chloe asks.

"Buffy," Clark states.

"Buffy?" Chloe asks both puzzled and intrigued at the same time.

"She's strong and fast, not like me, but faster than any normal human and certainly stronger than those thieves. She beat all 3 of them without breaking sweat." Clark says it with almost pride in his voice.

"Ok this is new information. She's not from Smallville."

"I know. Can you find information on her?" Clark asks really needing to find out something. He hopes Buffy won't turn bad like all the meteor infected. He would rather not have to fight her.

"I can try," Chloe tells him.

"Thanks Chloe." Clark superspeeds away blowing more papers off Chloe's desk.

"You've got to stop doing that!" she shouts at the empty spot where Clark was.

Early next morning Chloe is trying to search for information on Buffy but is being blocked repeatedly. Annoyed and frustrated she gives up. Buffy obviously has something to hide and either she or someone else is doing a real good job at hiding it. She better go tell Clark.

* * *

Elsewhere, Willow is getting warnings about someone searching for information on Buffy. She is woken up by the alarm she fitted. Willow yawns as she walks to the computer. Definitely made that too loud. She begins logging in as Xander enters from behind. "Willow is there a reason your waking me up at 2 in the morning."

"Sorry it's the alarm system I installed to protect the slayers. I've given them all false identities and rigged this monitoring system up in case anyone tries to find them."

"Willow my brain does not work without coffee so can we skip straight to the point," Xander requests groggily rubbing his eye.

Giles walks in. "Which of the girls is it?"

Willow brings up the file. "Buffy."

A little later all 3, now with coffee, are waiting for Willow to trace the inquiry back to its source.

"Nearly there, oh crap."

Xander and Giles at the same time. "What Willow?"

"I've traced the source," Willow states.

"That's great Will," Xander says.

"Not so great, it was from the Daily Planet." What the hell has Buffy been up to she gets the attention of a major newspaper Willow thinks rather alarmed. She hopes Buffy is not in trouble.

Giles is also rather alarmed. "The newspaper? The world famous newspaper read by millions?" This is bad. The last thing they need is a world famous newspaper to publish proof of slayers. Giles is worried that the world will believe them to be some kind of freak of nature that has to be destroyed.

"That's the one," Willow says with more cheer than she is actually feeling.

"So Buffy's in Metropolis. That's not exactly getting away from it all," Xander comments. After all she had said she needed to be alone.

"Can you find out who made the enquiry?" asks Giles.

"It'll take time, hundreds of people work there," Willow responds.

"Do your best Will," Xander says and places a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

* * *

For the second straight night Clark wakes up floating above the bed and cold showers aren't cutting it anymore. His dreams are up to the erotic now. He looks into the mirror and realises the sad look he wore since Lana's death is gone. In his dreams Buffy has replaced Lana with those superstrong and well lets face it incredibly toned legs and arms. Oh god get a grip Kent. Yeah a grip on Buffy. He splashes his face with cold water and looks in the mirror.

"Get dressed. Have Breakfast. Do chores. Don't think of Buffy," he tells his reflection. He walks out gets changed and heads downstairs. As he's making breakfast Chloe walks in looking, well tired would be an understatement.

"Morning Chloe, Coffee?" Clark asks rather concerned at her appearance.

"God yes," Chloe pleads.

"Late night?"

"Yeah thanks to you. I searched till 2am for information on Buffy and you know what I found? Nothing, zip, zero. Blocked at every turn." Chloe is annoyed. Someone had defeated her in the hacking stakes.

"Blocked? You? Hacker of the year." Clark makes it a half joke as he hands over a cup of coffee to his best friend.

Chloe takes a drink. "Heaven. Yes, me. Buffy either is an expert on computers or has friends that are."

"So what now?" Clark asks honestly not knowing what to do next. Although shouldn't he be better at this after hanging out with Chloe for so long?

"The old fashioned approach. You talk to her," Chloe tells him.

Clark nearly chokes on his toast. "Me!? Why me? She's your friend."

"Acquaintance," Chloe corrects him, "and besides you want to know what we mostly talked about. Go on take a guess. I'll give you a clue he's over six foot and likes plaid." Chloe loves teasing him. Highlight of her day.

Clark once again nearly chokes on his toast. "Me!?"

"Yep. I think she likes you." Chloe smirks with renewed energy. Thank God for coffee.

Clark on the other hand is having serious problems. She might like him and well he had already decided that he likes her but she has her secrets and he has his. However Lana is gone and he hates to admit just how lonely he is. Chloe is his friend and it is never going to be more than that and he is not even going to contemplate Lois because that's just creepy. Speaking of Lois...that reminds him. "Any news on Lois?" he asks.

"Oh yeah. She was arrested trying to break into the facility where Lex is. Lex is trying to get her thrown out the state." Chloe admires Lois's stubbornness, after all she got the journalist bug from her. Chloe is so proud.

Clark smiles. Lois arrested. There is a God.

* * *

Clark is outside the Talon trying to work up the nerve to enter. Ok Clark just go in, order a drink, maybe a muffin and ask Buffy out. This plan sucks, why does he listen to Chloe?

Clark walks in, up to the counter and meets one Buffy Summers. She looks at him. Is it possible for his blood to boil without the presence of Kryptonite?

Buffy is behind the counter lamenting how slow this day is going . She sees Clark enter. Oh there's Clark, is it hot in here suddenly? He's looking at you Summers say something.

"Hi Clark, What you having?" she asks him professionally. Wow good acting there Summers.

"Hi, just a coffee and a muffin; chocolate chip," Clark answers. Wow good acting there Kent.

Clark sits down and eats his muffin. Part 1 done now just ask her out. His mouth won't co-operate. He silently groans. He's doomed and he's going to kill Chloe.

Buffy tries to get on with her job except it's a quiet day and she can't help but notice Clark keeps looking at her with ,well, desire...she thinks. She decides to put an end to this and goes over to Clark's table and sits down. "Haven't seen you around much?"

Clark not looking at Buffy. "Busy on the farm. It's my job to run it since my dad died." Ok small talk, he can do small talk Clark thinks to himself.

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that. I lost my mother and well my father's in Europe with his secretary." Oh Well done Buffy, bring up painful memories for both you and him.

Clark rather taken aback. Her father left her. How could anyone leave her? Moving on to his own mother. "My mother is in Washington, she's a senator." Good Clark keep talking. Now ask her out. His mouth still won't cooperate.

His mother's a senator. Too bad Buffy hates politicians. Stupid mayor but he got his in the end. "That's nice," Buffy lies.

"Working late tonight?" Clark casually asks.

"No, not tonight."

"Want to do something? Together I mean." Did he just say that? Yeah he did. Good job Kent.

Did he just ask her out? Yeah he did but he's not looking at her. Ooh he's shy and that makes him more attractive why? Better say something Buffy. "Sure," she replies.

Clark looks up into Buffy's eyes and smiles. Buffy smiles in response. Both think 'Does he/she have a great smile'.

Buffy realising she should probably seize the initiative. "Meet me here at 7."

"No problem."

Buffy gets up and gets back to work. Why does he make her feel like a schoolgirl again? Wait again? She's the slayer. She never felt like a schoolgirl.

Clark finishes his coffee and leaves. Right plan succeeded. He supposes he should spare Chloe. Why is he so nervous? He's virtually invulnerable. It doesn't matter how strong she is. Ok check that he's definitely killing Chloe.

* * *

Buffy is trying to get ready for date. Right what to wear? Remember he's shy, nothing too aggressive. She really wishes Willow was here for her to talk to. Maybe she should phone and see how the gang are but she can think of these things tomorrow.

Outside in the shadows is a certain preacher who should be long dead. "Enjoy your night while you can little girl for divine retribution is at hand." He turns to the Bringers. "Follow her," he commands.

* * *

Meanwhile Willow is still trying to narrow down who is searching for Buffy. Xander brings food and more importantly coffee. "How is it going?" he asks.

"Under 50. I just have to connect the computer IP to the employee number and then that to the name of the person," Willow states rather impressively. She grabs a coffee. "It just takes time."

"You'll get there." Xander believes that 100%. Willow can do anything if she sets her mind to it. She almost destroyed the world after all and who stopped her. That's right. Him. He never gets tried of telling that story.

"Hopefully while Buffy is still alive." Willow tries to make it sound like a joke but truthfully she is worried. They should have never let Buffy leave.

* * *

Back in Smallville Clark is walking Buffy back to her apartment. In his opinion the night went well. She talked about the awful jobs she has but he can see she's always holding something back. He knows she has abilities but he can't say anything. He hates being in this position. He really likes her. He will talk to her about this but a first date is not the right time.

Buffy walks beside Clark realising she really does like him. She thought it was funny all those incidents his friends Lois and Chloe dragged him into. Still she couldn't shake the feeling he wasn't telling the whole truth. Well she'll ask him about it later. A first date is not the right time.

They reach the apartment.

"I had a great time Clark. We'll do this again soon right?"she asks hoping he'll say yes.

"Sure, of course," Clark replies. Of course they'll do this again. For a few hours he had been able to forget about his problems. Clark tries to look in Buffy's eyes but she is looking behind him.

Buffy had noticed movement in the bushes behind Clark. Men in cloaks, they look like Bringers but they can't be. Oh crap Clark's noticed. He's about to look. Think fast Buffy. She grabs Clark's jacket and kisses him. Clark is totally shocked at first but soon starts to respond. His lips part and so do Buffy's. Their tongues intertwine both revelling in each other's taste. Buffy's hand slip under Clark's jacket and she feels his muscles under his shirt. Clark's hands are wrapped around Buffy's back slowly moving up into her hair. They break apart breathless.

"Good night," Buffy says before turning around and heading in through her door. She hadn't really wanted to stop but with Bringers around she needs to go on slaying duties. She closes the door and leans against it. Stupid Bringers and did her toes curl when they kissed? Good god what a kisser and those muscles...what is he made of steel? Right Buffy focus. Kill Bringers now, make out with Clark later. Good plan, now where did she hide that sword?

"Good night." Clark could barely squeak the words out. He hadn't moved. He wasn't sure his legs were working. Wow what a kiss and that body and her hair. How does she keep it so soft? He is so going to be floating in his sleep again. Chloe's right that he really has got to work on learning how to control that. He decides to go home slowly. He needs to think.

* * *

Later that night Buffy is wandering around trying to find the Bringers. A couple are following her. Honestly do they really think she don't know they're following her. She turns a corner and quickly moves out of sight. The Bringers soon realise they've lost her and leave with a certain blond Slayer now following them.

Abandoned warehouses. That's original. The Bringers enter one and Buffy follows. All that's missing is a sign saying 'This is a Trap'. She sighs and walks in. She stealthily moves about keeping out of sight. Where did they go? Fine they'll do this the hard way. She walks out into the middle, then hears a voice and spins around.

"Well look here. My dear old friend the Slayer; haven't seen you since, when? Let me think. Oh I know since you killed me."

"Caleb?"


	3. Part 1 Chapter 3

Clark had been wandering about Smallville trying to organise his thoughts without much success. He had found it odd how quickly his feelings had developed for Buffy. He didn't get around to kissing Lana for years and now his grief for her seemed to have vanished. Is it wrong to have forgotten her so quickly? Wait he's not forgetting her is he? He's just moving on. That's what you do. You cherish the memories and continue living. Lana would not want him to live his life out alone. He just have to take things slowly. Yes that's it.

Clark's thoughts are interrupted by 2 men in cloaks with symbols for eyes; what the hell? Ok that's weird even for Smallville and is that Buffy following them? Right definitely need to see what this is about. Clark then proceeds to follow them.

* * *

Back in the warehouse.

"You're looking well considering," Buffy quips. Ok not her best comeback. Why don't they ever stay dead. She sliced and diced him and he doesn't have a mark on him.

"Yes well I serve one with limitless power," Caleb replies. He has been looking forward to this for a while. Serving his god faithfully had brought its reward. A second chance at life and at revenge on this girl.

"Right that's why you won; oh wait you lost."

"The battle," Caleb tells her. "In the end you and the rest of these meaningless people will lose the war." Caleb knew that his previous defeat only delayed his god's inevitable victory.

"Well I'm going to kill you now." Buffy then proceeds to punch Caleb. His head moves slightly. He then punches Buffy sending her flying across the warehouse.

Great he's stronger than he was before. Buffy tries to shake the cobwebs but before she can get up Caleb kicks her in the stomach sending her flying into the wall. He then proceeds to punch her until she bleeding, bruised and barely conscious.

"Well now no snappy comebacks. I've finally shut you up. Now to the finale. My resurrection has a price. Someone's life must be exchanged for mine. Balance must be maintained. I'm sure you understand. Guess what; the life that I have chosen to take is yours." He then pulls out a dagger and moves towards Buffy.

* * *

Clark meanwhile has lost sight of Buffy. He is berating himself. Good job Clark. Well she must be in one of these warehouses. He x-rays the buildings when he finds her on the ground with a man with a dagger moving towards her. Buffy, no! He then superspeeds into the warehouse.

Buffy lies on the floor waiting for the end. She hopes they still want her in heaven; at least she was at peace there. That's all she really wants. Caleb raises the dagger but the blow never comes. Buffy looks up to see Caleb's arm gripped by someone. She tries to focus her eyes on the person. Clark?. She then watches him throw Caleb literally through the wall as if both Caleb and the wall were nothing. He then comes over to her, cradles her and strokes her gently in complete contradiction to the obvious power he just used.

"Buffy are you alright?" Clark asks while he looks over her battered body. He is getting angry. He abhors people who commit violence like this. He looks at her lovingly.

"I've been better," she weakly jokes.

"Come on lets get out of here." Clark picks her up and Buffy can sense he carries her as if she was light as a feather. Unfortunately she is soon back on the floor as Caleb reappears punching Clark sending him flying.

Caleb stands over Buffy. "Well now it looks like you have a saviour." He grabs Buffy's throat with his left hand pinning her down. "First you, then I'll deliver him to his rightful place." Caleb draws his right fist back ready to literally put it through Buffy's head.

Ouch is Clark's first thought. That hurt. Ok he's strong. Clark turns to see Buffy pinned down and this preacher, so obviously not a preacher, about to once again try and kill her. What is his problem? That's it. Now Clark's mad and when he's mad no force on this earth can stop him. Clark gets up and superspeeds over.

Buffy barely able to breath is mesmerised by the fist, but it never comes. Clark had caught it in his left hand and she watches as he draws his right hand back and punches Caleb into air and back at least 30 feet. She sees the look on his face and recognises it as one she had had on occasion. Clark Kent is to put it bluntly pissed off. He then moves faster than even she can follow as he proceeds to beat the crap out of Caleb.

Buffy couldn't really follow most of what happened but she saw the ending as Clark put Caleb through one of the concrete support columns. Caleb lay on the ground in a heap. Clark comes over and she sees his face soften. The anger in it became concern as he gently picks her up. Then everything goes black.

* * *

Buffy is woken up the next day by light hitting her face. She opens her eyes to find she's in bed, not hers. She looks out the window; she's on a farm. The door opens and Clark walks in.

"You're up. How are you feeling?" Clark asks with some concern.

"Better. I heal fast." OK half truth. She does heal fast but she feels terrible not to mention the million questions she had about just what the heck kind of being Clark is.

"I went to your apartment, got some clothes," he informs her before placing a bag down on the bed. "The shower is just down the hall and I'll make you some breakfast." With that Clark leaves.

Clark walks down the stairs thinking that Buffy wasn't quite as well as she was saying. Sure her wounds were visibly smaller but that guy had really hurt her. He considered a normal person would probably be dead and a shiver goes up his spine.

Buffy stands in the shower trying to let the hot water take the pain away. Clark is obviously powerful. Glory like powerful. Is he a hell god? If he is surely he wouldn't have helped her. Where is Giles when you need him? There's only one thing for it she would just have to ask and hope he isn't evil. No he's not evil, she had looked in his eyes when he picked her up at the warehouse and well it had looked like love staring back at her. God his eyes are beautiful. Buffy finishes her shower, gets dressed and goes downstairs.

* * *

"A-ha" Willow proclaims. At last, boy was that tedious.

"That's a good a-ha right?" Xander asks as he and Giles walk in.

"I've traced the computer search to a Chloe Sullivan."

"Who is she?" asks Giles.

"Well she works at the Daily Planet so I'm guessing a reporter." Isn't that rather obvious or is that just her? Willow muses.

Xander looks confused. "You're guessing?"

"I can't break in to her computer. Whoever she is she's good with computers," Willow states. Really good actually. Maybe they could swap tips later once they're sure Buffy is safe.

Xander was torn being worried and impressed that someone could block Willow. "So what do we do?"

"Wo do it the old fashioned way," Giles answers. "We go talk to her."

"Right I'll order the plane tickets to Metropolis," Willow says as she turns back to the computer.

Xander starts to leave. "I'll go pack."

Giles also starts to leave. "Willow order 4 tickets."

"4?"

"For Faith, just in case Buffy's in trouble." Giles stops for a moment while he speaks. They are better safe than sorry and he won't risk the younger slayers going into the unknown. With that Xander and Giles leave to pack.

* * *

Clark is on the phone with Chloe while he makes breakfast. Chloe is asking about his date. "So how did it go?"

"Fine," Clark states trying not to give too much away for the moment.

"Did you learn anything about her abilities?" Chloe asks, her curiosity killing her.

"We never got to that. It was only a first date after all." Clark then suddenly blurts out "Chloe I think I'm in love with her."

"Say what?" Chloe askss with genuine surprise. "OK farm boy what are you drinking this morning?"

"Last night after our date I was wandering around when I saw her being attacked. I was so mad and when I saw her lying on the ground hurt, my heart ached just like when Lana died," Clark explains. Boy was he mad. For a second he had really wanted to hurt that guy badly. Instead he just knocked him out and rescued Buffy. She was more important.

"Ok Clark you do realise you just met and that we know practically nothing about her," Chloe points out, seriously trying to get Clark to think rationally for a minute.

"I know I can't explain it." Clark really can't. There just seems to be a connection between them.

"You're in love. Love can never be explained. You said she was attacked, is she alright?" Chloe asks while contemplating another Clark Kent love affair she will have to live through. At least it's not Lois. That would be just plain weird.

"She looked better than last night when she woke up," Clark says giving away more than he intended.

"Clark is she there with you?"

"Yes and it's not what you think so get your mind out of the gutter Chloe. As I said she was hurt so I brought her home to look after her." Honestly Chloe should know him better than that.

"Why didn't you go to the hospital?" Chloe asks. After all that is the logical place to take people when they're hurt.

"They ask questions I can't answer, at least not till I talk to Buffy." After all what would he say? Oh she was attacked by a guy with super human strength and creepy black eyes. He would have to ask Buffy about that guy as well as everything else. Clark hears her coming down the stairs. "I have to go Chloe, I promise we'll talk later."

"I'll hold you to that."

* * *

Buffy comes down the stairs to tempting smells. Clark sounded like he was on the phone. She'll have to ask him about that along with other things. She walks into the kitchen, sits down and begins eating. Hey she's hungry.

Clark sits there amused at just how much she was eating and wondering where she puts it all.

"What?" Buffy asks.

"You eat about as much as I do." Clark chuckles to himself.

"Is that why you're so strong?" she asks. Good one Buffy, put him on the defensive.

Clark avoids her eyes. Ok so they got to that fast. Change subjects Clark. "That guy didn't seem to like you very much," Clark idly mentions.

"We have issues. He serves the incarnation of evil and I'm the Slayer," Buffy replies. Not to mention she killed him but lets not make this talk any weirder than it has to be.

"Slayer?" Clark asks. Wait that sounds familiar. Let him think. He was researching stuff on vampires after Lana was infected with that virus. There was a prophecy, how did it go again? Clark recites it. "In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer."

"That's it." Ok he seems to know a lot for a farm boy, which of course he isn't.

"Vampires, demons they exist?" Clark asks. Even he, an alien, thought all that stuff was mythical.

"Not a lot of supernatural stuff happens around here does it?" Buffy assumes for the quizzical look Clark has.

"Not really, except a few years back my friends were possessed by the spirits of 17th century witches, not very nice ones either." Clark shivers slightly at that memory. Definitely not nice, they stripped him of his powers.

"That old chestnut, what happened?" Buffy asks interested. Possession, now they're into something she understands, sort of.

"Oh they were after a great power source, you know, world domination gig. The source of their power was a book, when I destroyed it their hold on my friends was broken". At least Clark thinks that's what happened. He doesn't understand magic at all.

"Will would of loved that". Yeah she really would and hopefully would not have been tempted to join them. Evil Willow was something she could do without seeing again.

"Will?" Clark asks.

"My friend Willow, she's a witch, a good one". At least most of the time Buffy mentally adds.

"Interesting life you lead.".

"Uh-huh. If you're finished changing the subject can we get back to what you are because the only time I've seen power like yours was when I battled a hell goddess."

"I'm not a god. I'm just a man." Clark hates the thought that people would see him as a god.

"Yep, not buying it."

"I'm just not from around here," Clark says while thinking how horribly clichéd that is getting.

"Keep going," Buffy encourages him.

"I wasn't born in Smallville. In fact I wasn't born anywhere in this galaxy. I come from a planet called Krypton," Clark states his now well rehearsed answer.

"Wait are you saying you're an...an…" Buffy can't get the word out.

"I prefer the term intergalactic traveller," Clark tells her.

Buffy goes back to eating her breakfast. Demons, vampires and monsters were one thing but aliens? Come on! Even if he is incredibly good looking, muscular and oh god she has to stop this train of thought.

Clark leaves her to think things over. Even for her this was probably a lot to process. It usually is. He goes over to the barn and up to the loft.

* * *

Back in the warehouse Caleb is coming around. Next to him the First in it's seemingly now favourite appearance of Buffy.

"I wondered when you would wake up," it teases. Good help is so hard to find the First contemplates.

"Your concern is touching and why do you insist on taking that form?" Caleb asks angrily. He really hates that girl.

"To remind you of your failure to kill her again," the First says as it wanders around him.

"You could of mentioned her protector. You know the one who has the powers of a god." In fact why hadn't his god mentioned him Caleb wonders.

"No excuse. If you had just killed her instead of playing with her he wouldn't have got here in time." The First states the truth there. He could have killed her the instance Buffy walked into the warehouse.

"Hey I have a right to my vengeance and that girl stopped you as well," he reminds his god. "So how do I kill her protector?" he asks.

The First laughs. "You don't." At Caleb's confused expression the First continues. "You haven't figured it out yet have you? This isn't about her. It's about him." The First wonders what it had seen in Caleb in the first place. Especially after his monumental failure back in Sunnydale. Well it won't matter soon anyway since the First has chosen Kal-El to be Caleb's replacement and as soon as it fills Kal-El's heart with anger and hate he will belong to it.

* * *

Back in the barn Clark is looking out enjoying the sunshine which always makes his body tingle. Buffy walks up behind him. "How was breakfast?" Clark asks.

"Good, great actually. So you're a real life alien from another planet is that right?" Buffy needs to clarify things.

"Yes and you're a human augmented with supernatural strength to fight the forces of evil. I looked it up on Google." Boy what a few days that was. He almost became a meal for Lana.

Buffy's eyes lights up. "I'm on Google!"

"Yep." God her eyes are beautiful.

Buffy sits on the couch. Hey a couch in a barn, that's novel. "Come on then lets hear your story," she offers to him.

"Only if you tell me yours," Clark replies. Exchange was after all fair play.

"Sounds fair."

Clark sits on the couch and begins his story.

* * *

At the airport Willow, Giles, Xander and Faith are stuck in departures as their flight is delayed again. Faith is pacing around bored out of her mind. "We're never leaving here are we. This is some sort of hell dimension. I should never have agreed to this. I hate flying," she says her agitation all too evident in her voice.

Giles tries to calm her. "Faith we're doing this to help Buffy," he reminds her.

"B can take care of herself Giles."

Willow and Xander come back from inquiring about the flight with unhappy faces. Xander starts. "It's been cancelled, mechanical difficulties they say."

Faith throws her hands up. "We're cursed. This has to be a curse."

Willow speaks "So what now?"

"Our only other option is to hire a car and drive there," Giles says in response.

"But that will take a couple of days," Willow points out.

Xander jumps in. "But think of the fun. A road trip like in the movies. Lets take the scenic route," he says enthusiastically.

All 4 move off to try and claim their luggage back with Faith trailing slightly behind muttering "Road trip? Now this is definitely hell."


	4. Part 1 Chapter 4

Clark and Buffy are having dinner having spent most of the day talking. She had even helped around the farm. Clark muses what someone would have thought to see the two of them drive fence posts into the ground bare handed. He had also noticed his feelings for her intensify. What a difficult and from what she had said lonely life. She had also brought it home how precarious humanity's grip on this planet was. All those times she saved the world. He is going to have find out what the plural of apocalypse is. He couldn't understand everything she went through even though he could with the her being dead thing after all technically he had been dead twice himself. She hadn't wanted to come back the second time, she was at peace. He hadn't wanted to come back either. He had wanted to stay with his father. Best not to dwell on that.

Buffy felt herself growing closer to Clark during the day. She had to admit he ran her close with saving the world. She had had a good laugh at the Zod story, not the bit of him trying to reshape the world because that would have been the end of it but Giles had nearly strained something trying to find the meaning of the global earthquakes. If only he knew aliens had caused it. She summarised her relationship stories as short as possible, no need to dig up those memories. When she told him of her dying twice she expected him to recoil but instead he just pointed out that he himself had died twice. He had seen his father the second time, he hadn't really wanted to leave. She understood that and she was glad there was someone else who knew how difficult it was to live on once you've seen heaven.

Still sore from the previous night Buffy decides to turn in early. "I'm going to bed I needs to rest."

"Ok," Clark says in response. He doesn't want to push things faster. After all he told himself he would take it slow.

She then walks up to Clark cups his face and kisses him. As before his kiss is breathtaking and his hands sliding up her back are sending shivers up and down her spine. Her hands are under his shirt and from what she could feel his muscles are better than what she had felt under his shirt the previous night. For Clark the kiss is similar, he's getting goose pimples where Buffy hands are touching his skin and his hands are under her shirt moving up her back. Her skin feels like silk and his brain is turning to mush. They break apart desperate for breath. Buffy is tempted not to stop there but her body is sore so she leaves and goes upstairs. Clark begins to clear up before he too goes to bed.

* * *

Outside looking upon the farm are Caleb and the First/Buffy.

"So we wait until he's asleep, sneak in and kill her," Caleb says with some hope.

"No Caleb. He needs to see her die for this to work," The First tells him.

"For what to work? I can't help but feel I need to know more about this plan." Caleb is protesting sounding almost whiny. He is definitely not being told everything.

"I told you, fill his heart with hate and he will join us," The First replies. Didn't it already tell him this and seriously he is being whiny now. It so needs better help.

"You know what he is, what he's vulnerable to but obviously I don't need to know that either," Caleb says almost childishly.

"No you don't," the First tells him firmly before it softens its tone. "Have patience you'll get your revenge. Her friends are coming. In a few days we'll all get what we want." Well more accurtaely the First will get what it wants. A new stronger follower and Caleb will be a pile of dust.

* * *

Buffy wakes up the next day feeling great. Her aches are gone, she's in the company of someone she cares for a lot and you know what it doesn't bother her he's an alien. She'll have to ask him to show her his powers. The super strength and speed she's seen but superhearing, super breath heat vision, x-ray vision she's going to need proof. Maybe she can ask him what colour underwear she's wearing. She gets up, gets dressed and heads downstairs for breakfast.

Clark is on the phone to Chloe. He has been telling her about Buffy.

"Slayers are real. They're not myths?" she asks. Chloe had done the same research as Clark when Lana was infected with the virus.

"Yes Chloe otherwise Buffy wouldn't exist at this moment," Clark states a little more sarcastically than he means to.

"Forgive me Clark, believing in aliens is one thing but my knowledge of the supernatural is sketchy at best."

"Yes, right sorry," he apologises before in another attack of verbal diarrhoea he blurts out "We kissed last night."

"Really, what was it like?" she asks. Hey curiosity, that's why she's a journalist.

"Like I was flying." Clark's getting butterflies just thinking about it.

"Really, speaking of that have you figured out how to fly yet?" she asks him. After all Chloe had been telling him to get on it after that phantom cloned him.

"No, been kind of busy."

"Uh-huh"

"Not with what your thinking about Chloe."

"Any trouble since the other night?"

"No not a sign of those Bringers as Buffy calls them. Maybe they've left town." He doesn't believe that for an instance but Clark had gone to look for them and found nothing.

"You're not convinced are you?" Chloe could tell that from the tone of his voice.

"Nope but I'll protect her. After all it's why I'm here."

"When you get a chance come visit me at the Planet."

"I'll do that Chloe, see you soon." Clark will have to do that after all Chloe is always willing to hear out his problems.

* * *

Buffy and Clark are having breakfast. "Show me what you can do," Buffy asks. Her curiosity is getting the better of her.

Clark looks up from the paper he is reading. "Sorry?"

"I want to see what you can do."

"Ok where do you want to start?" he asks. Clark had had a feeling this was coming. Everyone always wants to see what he can do.

"What colour underwear am I wearing?" Buffy cheekily asks him.

Clark's eyes nearly pop out his head.

After a lot of Buffy's laughter, Clark had convinced her his x-ray vision didn't work like that but that he could see her bones. The heat vision was easier, he just made her some toast with it. Of course when he told her he was thinking about sex the first time he got it and that he nearly burnt the school down that got him round 2 of Buffy's laughter at his expense. Equally the super breath was relatively easy, he just walked outside and blew the clouds away. Next for some reason she wanted to test just how invulnerable he was. This involved him standing there while she hit him with various objects which considering her strength wasn't exactly pain free for him.

"Wait did I hurt you? I thought you were invulnerable."

"I still feel pain even if it can't cause any actual damage. Trust me when I say I can feel everything you can. It just takes a bit more force before you get to the pain threshold."

"Ok but I reckon I can take you."

Clark noticed the gleam in her eye when she said that. "Oh really, prove it," he dares her

Buffy then walks up to him, grabs his shirt, uses her weight to flip him over and lands on top of him where she could stake him if he was a vampire. "Told you" she states triumphantly.

Clark loves that look in her eyes. "Now what Buffy?"

"Now what, what?" Buffy asks rather confused.

"What are you going to do, my skin is impenetrable and I hate to point this out but I can just lift you up as easily as you lift a feather."

Buffy realises he's right. She couldn't stop him if he didn't want to be stopped. She gets up and sits on the couch.

Clark saw her mood change. He knows that look. The one he always dreads. She's afraid of him. "What is it Buffy?"

"You're a good person Clark but you've told me there are other Kryptonians who aren't. No-one not even me could stop them."

"They're imprisoned in a different dimension from which there is no escape. Buffy I am the last Kryptonian. There are no others."

Buffy tried to process this new information. That's why he looked so lonely. He truly was alone, the only one of his kind left but still what if he went bad. He had told her about the influence the red meteor rocks had on him, the things he did. Ok not truly evil, more like self indulgence but still. She needed to think about this. "I'm going to work, I'll see you later Clark."

Oh crap he's losing her. Clark realises he needs to tell her everything. He had left things out to protect himself but she's too important to him. He'll fix this tonight. "Buffy come round after you finish. I'll make dinner."

She turns and looks at him.

"Please," he begs.

She nods her head in agreement and leaves. Clark needs to get a couple of things and superspeeds off to Metropolis to see Chloe.

* * *

"Clark are you sure you want to do this?" Chloe asks him from her desk.

"I need to do this Chloe. I can't have her be afraid of me. That's why I insisted you keep a piece of Kryptonite on you, in case you ever need to stop me."

"I wouldn't go as far as saying I'm afraid of you Clark even when Kal decides to pay us a visit. Slightly intimidated maybe but I wouldn't say afraid."

Great lets bring up those memories. Clark always felt guilt about what he did when under the influence of red kryptonite especially since he can remember everything unlike humans when their drunk which is probably the closest comparison to the experience. "Truth is Chloe I need people I can trust to know how to stop me in case I do end up trying to rule the world. You know I would rather die than become some sort of dictator."

Chloe reaches into her bag and pulls out a small lead box. "Here."

"Thank you Chloe. You are a great friend."

"Yeah, just you remember that next time I need help with an investigation."

Clark smirks and superspeeds off once again blowing papers off Chloe's desk.

"And you've got to stop doing that," she says to the empty space where Clark was. She starts to pick things up. She just hopes Clark's right that Buffy can be trusted.

* * *

Faith is counting the ways to kill Xander. She's up to 83. Let's take the scenic route he said. A scenic route that involved a small town totally taken over by vampires. She was going to have bruises for a month. At least he got beat up as well. She is trying to get to sleep on the most uncomfortable motel bed ever. Honestly there has to be some law against places like this. Right get to sleep, leave early and maybe they can get to Metropolis by tomorrow. "B you so owe me".

* * *

Clark and Buffy have been having dinner in an uncomfortable silence. Clark is unsure how to start the conversation. Buffy has been thinking all day about this dinner. She wondered what was the point really. When was the last time she felt genuine fear, but that's what she had felt today. Clark may be more powerful than even a hell god and as far as she knew nothing on this earth could stop him. The look in his eyes earlier when he practically begged her to come, had persuaded her to come. It had looked like he wanted to tell her something but dinner was all but over and they had barely said 2 words. She decided it was time to leave. "Thanks for dinner, I'll be going." She starts to leave.

"Magic," Clark suddenly says.

Buffy looks at him confused. "What?"

"I'm vulnerable to magic. Remember those witches I mentioned?" Buffy nods and Clark continues. "What I didn't tell you is that they used their magic to strip me of my powers and make me mortal. Then later the head or leader or whatever you call her, Isobel was her name, endowed a weapon with some sort of power and stabbed me with it in the shoulder and believe me that hurt."

Buffy stands there trying to process this. Then it hits her. He's trusting her with the secret to kill him. When had anyone ever done that? She already knew how to kill Spike or Angel; he must really like her.

By this time Clark is holding the small lead box. Ok Clark first weakness down, one more to go. "Buffy you ok?"

"Yep. So magic, anything else?"

"Only one I'm aware of. I told you about the red meteor rocks and what they do, well there are these green ones as well and they emit a radiation that is deadly to me."

"They can kill you?"

"If I'm exposed for too long. To begin with they just weaken me. Here this is for you." He holds out the box.

"What is it?" Buffy is rather curious, a gift?

"Open it," he tells her.

Buffy opens the box and inside is a green, glowing rock. She then sees Clark double over in pain. Oh god, what is he thinking? She slams the lid close and rushes over to Clark. "What are trying to do Clark? That was just stupid."

Clark recovering "I needed you to not be afraid of me Buffy."

"Why?"

Clark looks into her eyes "Because I'm in love with you."

Buffy looking into Clark's eyes and sees longing, the same one she has to not be alone or different. She gently brushes his hair back and begins kissing him, gently at first but the passion soon increases. She stops needing to breath. She takes Clark's hand and leads him upstairs. When they reach the bedroom door he hesitates. "Clark?"

"Buffy this may be dangerous. I could hurt you," he tells her. He really could. He is always afraid he would hurt someone accidentally because he couldn't control his powers.

He's afraid of hurting her Buffy realises. It's usually the other way round but they need to do this. She and Clark are so alike. Both in the world but not part of it. They need each other. She needs him. She loves him. "Clark, I love you. You told me how to hurt you and trusted me not to, so now I'm going to trust you not to hurt me." She kisses him again, their arms wrap around each other. They move towards the bed, kicking the door closed behind them.

Buffy wakes up to the sensation of her pillow moving slowly up and down. Her eyes open to reveal she's lying on Clark's chest. Ok he's invulnerable yet soft to the touch and she also noticed he radiates an unusual amount of heat. It was a great feeling, the opposite of Angel and Spike. Their bodies being cooler than hers absorbed her heat cooling her down, but with Clark he was warming her up. She was feeling great, almost purring with contentment for a couple of reasons. First and most obvious were the 4 rounds of incredible lovemaking they had had last night and second afterwards she had slept great, not just because she was tired but she hadn't had the nightmares that usually plague her. It was as if Clark's presence alone drove them away.

Not wanting to move she turned her thoughts back to last night. At first Clark had been nervous and so gentle, afraid of hurting her. Because of this she had taken the initiative. By the second round of lovemaking Clark was adjusting slowly starting to match her strength but still always holding back. She was still leading and wasn't holding back at all. The knowledge that she couldn't hurt him no matter what she did was really turning her on. Round 3 was more a round of equals. Clark had adjusted his strength to match hers and was now undertaking the extremely pleasurable sensation of exploring her body. It amazed her how quickly he found her sensitive spots sending ripples of pleasure coursing through her core. They rested after that, well more correctly she rested, she wasn't sure it was actually possible to tire Clark out. She awoke a few hours later to find Clark kissing her all over her body. He was a quick learner as his kisses alone were sending her over the edge. Round 4 had definitely been the best. Clark had taken charge and her climaxes (yes plural) had left her tingling all over. She lay there on Clark their legs intertwined and thought just how perfectly they fitted together.

Clark was thinking just the same thing. He had been awake, as always, as soon as the light from the sun had hit him. It just wasn't possible to sleep when your body tingled all over. It occurred to him that Buffy's kisses and touches had the same effect. She blazed like the sun and seemed to effect him just the same. He had lay there watching her sleep and even though he knew it was a cliché she looked like an angel. He heard the subtle changes in breathing that indicated she was awake but she didn't seem to want to move and neither did he. After a while she looks up at him.

Buffy speaks first. "Morning, have you been awake long?"

"As soon as the sun was up. I can't sleep once its up," he tells her.

"Is that a farm boy thing?" Buffy teases.

"No it's an alien thing. The sun is what gives me my power. Its rays super energise my cells, it makes my body tingle just like your touches." Clark blushes when he realises what he said.

Buffy smiles when she sees him blush like that. Wait, did he just compare her to the sun? Oh god now she's blushing. Has she ever blushed? "You never told me that. Any other secrets I should know about because for once I would like an open and honest relationship." That would make a really nice change.

Clark thinks about it. Not really, well except the caves and the Fortress. Should he show her those? Yes. She's right no more secrets. "There is one thing but you're going to need more clothes, warm ones."

Warm ones? Where are we going? The north pole Buffy muses. "It can wait. I like the lack of clothing." Her stomach then growls.

"Hungry?" Clark asks.

"Well yeah, last nights activities burned a lot of energy."

"I didn't hear you complain." Clark puts on a little hurt face.

"No, but unlike you Mr Solar Cell I need to eat."

"So do I,"Clark tells her as gets up and Buffy shivers at the loss of Clark's warmth. "Anything in particular you want?" he asks.

"Pancakes and whipped cream."

Clark notices her eyebrows wiggle suggestively at the whipped cream bit and realises the trip to the Fortress would probably not be today not that he was complaining because last night had been incredible. The sensations she invoked by her kisses, her touches. Once he adjusted his powers to match her strength he had really let go. He could still taste her, still feel her silky skin against his. When he climaxed it felt like his blood was on fire. Only those few short days as a mortal with Lana could compare but he had never dared make love to her after his powers returned. He hadn't trusted himself but he had with Buffy or perhaps more importantly she had trusted him. He loved her as much as he had ever loved Lana. Maybe his mother was right. He hadn't told Lana the truth because she wasn't the one for him. Right now then, where is that whipped cream?

* * *

Faith is still in hell. The stupid car had broken down and they're awaiting rescue. Xander, Giles and Willow are chatting together, leaving her the outsider still. She bets anything that this is a waste of time. Buffy is probably fine and knowing her luck having great sex with some really hot guy/demon/vampire. Oh great now she's thinking about sex or in her case lack of since she's here in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps Xander would like another go. God the sun is getting to her if she is thinking that.

Xander speaks out "Faith you ok?"

"Sure, just bored."

"Tell me about it," Willow adds. Definitely no more listening to Xander, oldest friend or not. Those vampires in that town had been annoying. Willow had almost been tempted to go all evil on them.

They all look towards the sound of an approaching vehicle. Please let this be the breakdown truck Faith prays.


	5. Part 1 Chapter 5

Next day Clark is retrieving the hexagonal key from it's hiding spot. He goes back into the house and waits for Buffy to return. She's off getting warm clothes. He can't get the smile off his face. A situation which is not helped by the fact that everywhere in the house reminds him of what he and Buffy got up to yesterday. Slayer stamina was impressive, even he was a little tired by the end of the day. Of course that slayer strength had left him a few things to repair. He would need to do that before his mother visited. He did not want to explain how these things were broken. The phone rings.

"Hey Chloe," Clark answers.

"Hey Clark. Haven't heard from you for a couple of days. Been busy?"

He could hear the suggestive tone in her voice. "Fairly so yeah." Clark was definitely not telling Chloe about his love life. The last time he did that he couldn't look her in the eye for a week.

"Doing what?" Chloe asks. She knows perfectly well what but wants Clark to say it.

Why is she asking a question she already knows the answer to? She just loves to tease him. Clark decides to changes subjects. "Heard from Lois recently?"

"Clark you're changing the subject but to answer your question, yes. She has finally accepted defeat in trying to get to Lex. She should be back in a few days, maybe she'll come visit you." Chloe slightly chuckles. A visit from Lois is always the highlight of Clark's life, not.

Oh goody Clark thinks but only says "That'll be nice."

"Uh-huh. So what are your plans for the day? Are you actually leaving the house today?"

Ok how does she do that? Clark muses. He means seriously, is he that easy to read? Anyway he should answer her question. "Yes, I'm showing Buffy the Fortress," he tells Chloe.

"Really?" Chloe asks somewhat surprised. Wow, he is serious about Buffy if he is showing her that.

"I've decided no more secrets. You're okay with this right?" he asks his friend. After all Clark values Chloe's opinion almosy above anyone else's so he really needs her to be accepting of this.

"Clark I'm your friend. I'm always going to worry about you but in the end you have to choose what to do, what you believe to be right."

"Thank you Chloe. You're my best friend and I'll always be around if you need me."

"You should be careful, I'll hold you to that one day. Anyway I need to get back to work before I'm fired. Let me know how you get on."

"I will Chloe," he promises.

"Bye then Clark."

"Bye Chloe." Clark then replaces the phone just as Buffy enters.

* * *

Buffy had gone back to her apartment to get warm clothes. She still didn't know why. Clark had said it was a surprise. She looks in her mirror and realises she has a smile on her face that could only be described as goofy. Honestly what did that man do to her apart from the incredible sex. What a day yesterday had been. They never even got out the house. They did however manage to have sex in every room. In the throws of ecstasy she had broken and crushed a few things but it was worth it. She picks out some warm clothes, heads back to Clark's and walks in. "Ok where are we going that I have to wear all this?" she asks him since she is roasting in all these clothes.

"It's a surprise, my final secret," he tells her and that is all Clark is telling her because he wants to see the reaction on her face when they go to the Fortress.

"So are we going to need to drive?" Buffy asks. It was a sensible question she thought because obviously they're going somewhere cold and far away.

"I have a faster way," he says with a little knowing smile. Clark then picks Buffy up and superspeeds to the caves. Seconds later he's putting her down.

"Wow, that never gets old," she says and it doesn't really. The world seems to slow down around Clark when he moves like that. Buffy looks around. "So a cave. That's your secret?"

"No this is just a short cut."

They walk through the cave with Buffy looking at the cave drawings. "What are these about?" she asks Clark.

"It tells the story of Naman, a being who fell from the sky. He has the strength of ten men and could shoot fire from his eyes."

"It's about you isn't it?" Buffy asking the obvious conclusion.

"I don't know. I believe you make your own destiny." Clark always disliked the fact that somehow his story was already written.

"Who's the other figure?" Buffy asks sensing that the Naman is a bit of a sensitive subject for him.

"Sageeth. Once a like a brother to Naman but will betray him and the end the two will battle. Naman on the side of good. Sageeth on the side of evil."

"And that other figure?" Buffy asks referring to an obviously female form.

"Naman's soul mate." Clark had once thought that was Kyla. She had given him a bracelet for his soul mate when she had died and Clark had begun to wonder if he would ever find someone to give it to.

Buffy looks at the figure. It is badly faded and beside it...was writing? "Is that writing beside her?" she asks Clark.

"Yes, mostly unreadable. The bits I can read refer to her as being chosen."

That peaked Buffy's interest. Chosen as in Chosen one as in her. Can Clark be her soul mate? She had once thought Angel was her soul mate. He understood the darkness she faced, that often threatened to consume her. Now he works for Wolfram and Hart and she wonders if she ever really understood him. Riley always seemed to be intimidated by her, that he would always be less than her somehow. Well he got himself married pretty quick after he left and of course that brings us to Spike. Of course he came along at the worst possible time. She was just back from the dead. To her the world was literally hell, at least compared to the paradise she had been in. He made her feel alive again or so she thought. Like Angel he lived in the darkness whereas Clark blazed like the sun that gave him power. He illuminated her dark world, scaring the monsters away. In the last two days her nightmares of the monsters in the dark, her dreams of the previous slayers had changed to dreams bathed in sunlight mostly involving Clark.

They move towards the alter. Buffy looks at it, covered in symbols she couldn't hope to understand. "What's this for?" she asks Clark.

"It's a portal. It was left here for me."

"Portal? We're not going to another dimension or anything are we?" Buffy asks really not wanting a trip to some weird dimension.

"No, it takes us someplace else on Earth."

Clark slides the key in, there is a flash of light and Buffy finds that for starters she is now cold and secondly she standing in the most beautiful thing she has ever seen except for her time in heaven. She stares open mouthed at the crystal columns, as thick as tree trunks, that reach into the sky. "What is this place and where are we?"

"The arctic and this is my Fortress of Solitude. It is all that remains of Krypton." He leads her over to the control panel with the crystals. "These crystals contain all the knowledge gathered from the 28 known galaxies."

"It's a library?"

"Of a sort. It is also a place for me to train to truly understand my powers."

"Why haven't you?"

"My father and I don't get on," Clark says bitterly. No they really don't get on. Clark knows it is not quite his father. His father had sacrificed himself trying to save Krypton. He wondered what had happened to that compassion in the version of Jor-El that inhabited the Fortress.

"Your father?" Buffy queries.

"My Kryptonian father. The fortress contains an artificial intelligence based on his personality and memories."

"Kal-El." Jor-El's voice booms through the Fortress. "You have returned."

"Father."

"Your time of training approaches but first you must face a trial. You will face a choice. Which choice you make will determine both your fate and that of this world. The same darkness that destroyed Krypton has turned its attention to you."

"What darkness?"

"The first darkness. The one that came before all others."

Buffy realises what he is talking about and whispers "The First."

"Yes Buffy Summers. The darkness you defeated before and the one you must help my son defeat now."

Clark stands there rather dumbfounded. How does Jor-El know these things? Clark thinks that his training really can't be put off much longer.

* * *

Willow, Giles, Faith and Xander are standing outside the Daily Planet. Xander speaks first. "So what exactly is the plan here?" he asks since during the trip here no-one has seemed to want to explain it. AT least not t him. They all blame him for that trip through vampire town. It totally wasn't his fault. All he had wanted to do was see some sights.

Giles replies "We go in and ask Miss Sullivan where Buffy is. We explain to her that we are friends of Buffy and that were concerned because we haven't been able to contact her for a few days." Giles is really glad they are finally here. Driving here had been his idea, not his best one he knows, and why had he listened to Xander and taken that scenic route? Maybe he is getting soft in his advancing, not old, years.

Willow points out the flaw. "How do we explain to her how we knew where she worked? Because you know what I did to find her was very illegal." The kind of illegal that gets people namely her jail terms.

Giles replies "We say Buffy mentioned her last time we spoke and hope that Miss Sullivan told Buffy she worked here."

"And if all else fails, I can torture her until she talks," Faith quips. All 3 of them look at Faith. "What? I'm kidding. Lighten up," she tells them. Honestly no sense of humour Faith thinks. She's over that be evil and torture people part of her life.

Xander decides it's time to go in. "Ok Giles is Plan A and Faith you're Plan B. Now how do we find this Chloe Sullivan?"

Giles shaking his head. "We ask."

All 4 walk in. They get directed down to the basement. They look around and Willow sees Chloe's desk. "There she is, over there," Willow says and points to Chloe.

"Hey, she's kind of cute," is Xander's observation. Well she is.

Willow agrees. She is cute but keeps her opinion to herself.

"Xander," Giles cuts in, "This is not the best time," he lightly chastises.

"Hey, I still have one good eye," Xander points out but Giles is probably right Xander thinks. He really isn't over Anya yet.

"Perhaps I should do the talking," Giles suggests especially if they want to finish this some time today. They move over to Chloe's desk.

Chloe is buried in her work. She's distracted by thoughts of Clark. She wants her friend to be happy. She knows how lonely he is. Well so is she. Maybe she should talk to Jimmy. She is snapped out of her thoughts by an English accent.

"Miss Sullivan?"

Chloe looks up at the group around her desk. Ok new people. How do they know who she is apart from her name being on her desk obviously. "Yes?"

"My name is Rupert Giles, and this is Willow, Xander and Faith. We're friends of Buffy Summers. We haven't be able to contact her lately and we wondered if you knew where she was."

"She mentioned me to you?" Chloe asks them while at the same time wondering if these were the friends that blocked her hacking attempts.

"Yes, briefly. She said you were friendly to her," Giles says really hoping that this, from what he could tell, nice girl would buy that.

"Well we talked a couple of times. You're from Sunnydale as well?"

Giles is slightly surpirised Buffy mentioned Sunnydale but it could show that she had some trust in Ms Sullivan. "Yes," Giles answers. "Is she staying in Metropolis?" he asks.

"No, she's with my friend in Smallville. She's resting up. She was attacked a couple of days ago," Chloe mentions thinking this is a good way to judge them in seeing how they react to that news.

All 4 tighten with tension in reponse to that news. "Is she okay?" Willow asks with great concern for her friend. If Buffy was attacked that means she's in trouble.

"She's fine. She's safe with my friend," Chloe answers while noting their worried expressions.

Giles is deeply concerned. If Buffy was attacked in the middle of nowhere it means someone went to a lot of trouble to find her. That can't be good. "Do you have an address?" he inquires.

"Well directions would be better. My friend lives on a farm. It's a good 2 hour drive," Chloe informs them. Her instincts tell her they seem trustworthy and well they're usually right. Chloe writes down the directions and hands it over to Giles.

A 2 hour drive!? Faith can't believe it. Another bloody road trip.

"Thank you Miss Sullivan," Giles says in his faultlessly polite British way.

"Don't worry about it Mr Giles. He's a great guy my friend Clark," Chloe cheerfully responds. Of course not to mention superstrong and invulnerable but they don't need to know that.

All 4 "HE!?"

Faith had just known it. She's been on the road trip from hell while she's shacked up with a farm boy. Admittedly that's more normal than B usually goes for but still. Her life sucks.

All 4 say goodbye to Chloe and leave the building. Faith decides to air her thoughts. "Unbelievable! We've been battling airports, vampires, and stupid cars that break down in the middle of nowhere while she's been getting happy with a farm boy. I told you this was a waste of time."

Xander intervenes. "Did you miss the part where she was attacked?" he reminds Faith while he thinks that only Buffy could find trouble in the middle of Kansas.

"No but Chloe there said she was fine. Therefore she slayed the thing that attacked her," Faith retorts.

Giles speaks before Faith and Xander get into another argument. "Faith, you may have a point but it's time Buffy comes back to help organise the Slayers."

"She probably won't. I wouldn't. Look at her choices. Come back to fighting the minions of hell or live with her boyfriend on a farm in the sun in probably the quietest place on the planet. She's probably having sex as we speak." Which is a damn sight more than Faith's getting. On the other hand it might be fun to drop in on her and check this guy out she thinks.

Willow has been saying little. Buffy and a farm boy? Buffy whose dating record includes 2 vampires and Riley, while human, worked for a secret government organisation. Ok odds are this guy is a demon or a vampire or something. Maybe she can do some research on him. Wait what was his name? Clark, Clark what? "Ok first Faith I really don't need that mental picture and second Giles did Chloe write what the guys name is?"

Giles looks at the piece of paper Chloe had written the directions on. "No just that it's the Kent farm."

"Well she said his first name is Clark so I'll do some research on him while you go hire us a new car and we'll go first thing in the morning," Willow says taking charge of the situation.

Xander walks over to Willow. "You know I love it when you take charge. I'll go with Giles while you and Faith find some place for us to stay tonight."

They all nod in agreement.

"10 bucks says he's a vampire," Xander abruptly adds.

"10 bucks says he's a demon," Faith counters.

Giles rolls his eyes and mutters "The world is definitely doomed."


	6. Part 1 Chapter 6

Clark and Buffy are back at the farm. She is telling him about the First.

"So it claims to have created evil?" Clark asks not sure how such a thing could exist? That would mean it had been here since the beginning of time doesn't it?

"That's its job pitch, yep," she says even if Buffy had never been entirely convinced by that. Sure it was a powerful, evil entity and all but created evil...Buffy still needed some convincing.

"And the guy from the other night is like its high priest?" Clark enquires about Caleb.

"More or less." Buffy wasn't entirely sure that was true but he had been the leader of the Bringers.

"Why is it interested in me?" he asks because Clark had no idea why it would have any interest in him.

"Because you're a good guy with the powers of a god. You're a threat to its agenda," she tells him. Buffy thinks that has to be the reason. Considering the power Clark possessed he could literally change the world for the better.

"Buffy I told you this I'm no god." Clark shakes his head. Back to the god thing again.

"Clark I've battled a hell goddess, okay a binded one, trust me you put her to shame." Buffy's voice grows soft. "I'm worried about you. The First knows well basically everything. It surely knows your weaknesses," she inform him. Therefore it falls upon her to protect Clark.

"You defeated its plans before and WE'LL defeat it this time together," Clark says with more reassurance than he actually feels but being here with Buffy gives him a feeling of strength beyond his own abilities.

Buffy looks into his eyes. How do they always reassure her? They can do this. After all an entire army of Bringers is no match for Clark. Still maybe she should phone Giles. Oh god Clark's got that I want you right now look. Phone Giles tomorrow she decides. She then launches herself at Clark and they fall down on the couch.

* * *

Still looking over the farm, waiting are the First/Buffy and Caleb. The First/Buffy speaks "Her friends will be here tomorrow. We can begin then. My followers are coming. Soon Kal-El will join us," The First says with some certainty. After all it had the ability to see the possible futures. Most now pointed to its victory.

Caleb looking rather down and irritated at how little he is getting told. "Yep my boys are gathering. We're going to have us a pretty little battle."

"Don't sulk, it's not you. Did you get the 2 items I told you to."

"Of course, I am yours to command." Caleb opens a box and inside is a green glowing rock and a ring with a red stone.

* * *

Buffy wakes early to a feeling of weightlessness. It's still dark. She's lying on top of Clark. They never did get off the couch. Last night was good. End of the world sex, always the best. She shifts her head off his chest and sees why she has this weightless feeling. THEY'RE FLOATING!. "Clark wake up, we're floating."

Clark still half asleep mumbles a sorry. They then float gently back down to the couch, Clark showing more control than he has ever shown before over his flying ability.

"I thought you said no more secrets," she says sternly. Buffy is caught between annoyance and shock.

Clark now awake. "What?"

"Floating. You never mentioned that."

"It doesn't happen often. Usually only when I'm happy," he tells her. And lately he's been very happy and it has been happening more often.

"So you're Peter Pan now. Can you actually fly?"

"I did once but it wasn't really me."

"I'm confused, elaborate," she requests of him.

Clark sighs at having to drag up this memory. "Jor-El brainwashed me so I would be a true Kryptonian and fulfil my destiny. During this period I flew but I haven't been able to repeat it by myself."

"He brainwashed you!" Buffy was surprised that any father, even her own who had basically abandoned her, would brainwash their own child.

"As I said we don't get along," he repeats his sentiment from earlier.

Fly. She heard that right didn't she? He can actually fly. They are so going to have to experiment with this. Well that's for another day. Right now she just wants to go back to sleep. Clark is just so comfy and warm. She really loves him. With that Buffy goes back to her now monster free dreams.

* * *

Early next day, Willow, Faith, Giles and Xander are driving into Smallville. Willow had been up late researching Clark and Smallville in general. Faith had gone clubbing, met a couple of cute guys, okay one was a vampire but he was now dust. Xander and Giles had ended up sharing a room and had spent the drive talking as little as possible about that.

Xander queries Willow. "So Will what did you get on this Clark Kent?"

"Not much. He has to be the most normal person ever," she answers. Willow had expected to find something. They were minor criminal activities mentioned but nothing serious and nothing unusual for a teenager to commit.

"Nothing strange at all?" Giles queries wanting to make sure they go into this with as much knowledge as possible.

"Well just this. He was adopted at age 3 and I can't find anything before then. It's like he fell out of the sky," she tells Giles. That was a little odd Willow had thought.

Giles found that interesting. Could he be something that died and was remade? Perhaps a hell god like Glory. She was imprisoned in a baby to make her mortal or he could just be a normal bloke who Buffy happens to like. That is of course entirely possible and in truth part of Giles hopes so. A normal man would be good for Buffy after her other choices in boyfriends.

Willow interrupts his thinking. "I did some research into the town. It's second only to Sunnydale for weirdness."

That peaked Faith's interest. "Really?" Maybe this won't be as boring as she had feared.

"Yep. It seemed to start with a meteor shower that hit the town. The rocks seem to have a strange effect on people, giving them super human abilities."

Xander cuts in "Effects them how?" he asks.

"Well according to our friend Chloe, who by the way has written a ton of stuff on this, the radiation the rocks emit alter DNA."

Xander is really excited now. "Like Mutants? like in the X-men?" Oh boy comic book heaven. He can't wait to tell Andrew about this.

"I suppose so," Willow says in partial agreement. "Some of these abilities are weird. A guy who could control fire. One who sucked heat out of bodies. A shape shifter. The list goes on quite some length." Yeah, it really goes on. Only Buffy could end up in a place as weird as Sunnydale.

Giles is getting a headache. Great this is all they need. If demons and vampires were not enough now they get mutants created by space rocks. They drive up to the Kent farm. They get out and knock on the door. No response.

"Maybe they're still asleep or are out doing farm things," Willow suggests.

"One way to find out," Faith says as she opens the door and walks in. The other 3 follow to find Faith stood near the couch. They look down to find a very naked Buffy lying on top of a very naked Clark Kent.

Clark is slowly coming around when he notices that there are 4 extra heartbeats nearby. He opens his eyes to find 4 strangers staring at him and Buffy. "Buffy, wake up," he says.

"It's too early," Buffy complains.

"Buffy, we have company."

Buffy opens her eyes and looks round to see 4 familiar faces. "Hey guys." She then buries her face into Clark's chest and groans. Why her? Why is it always her?

Giles, Faith, Xander and Willow were all reacting quite differently. Giles, surrogate father that he is, just wanted to leave quickly and purge this from his memory. Xander is contemplating how many years of therapy he would require from seeing this. Faith is wondering if Buffy would share because god damn was this guy built. Willow is getting strange feelings in her stomach. She could tell that Clark is powerful, Glory like powerful. His power feels a bit like magic but not quite the same. He is not human, that's for sure.

Buffy realising the need for clothes needs to get rid of her friends for a few minutes. "Guys, could you give us a few minutes to get changed?" she requests of them.

Clark helps out. "You can help yourself to something in the kitchen," he tells them.

Xander, Giles and Willow start to leave but Faith stays still staring at Clark. Ok subtle approach on Faith not working Buffy notes. "Faith. Leave," Buffy orders.

"Sure B," Faith says with a wicked grin on her face that Buffy knows is trouble.

In the kitchen Giles and Xander are looking through cupboards. Faith walks in last. "Oh my god! Did you see that guy? All those muscles?" Faith just can't believe how well built that guy is. How does Buffy always manage to find like the hottest guys on the planet and why the hell is she here without one? Oh she really hopes Buffy will share him.

Giles speaks. "Yes and I would like to purge that memory as quickly as possible thank you Faith."

Xander's thoughts on the subject apart from wanting to remove the image of naked people from his head was that as long as Buffy was happy he was happy. She deserved it after everything that happened. He goes back to looking in cupboards. "So what's everyone wanting? Will?"

No response. Xander stops looking through the cupboards and turns to look at Willow. "Will, what is it?" Xander asks her.

"I don't think he's human," is Willow's response.

"I knew it! Xander you owe me 10 bucks," Faith says.

"How do you figure?" Xander asks Faith. He wasn't giving up this bet without a fight. Honestly though Buffy attracted almost as many demon/vampire potential partners as him.

"Well it's daytime. He's not crispy. Therefore demon. I win the bet," she informs him in what she thinks is a perfectly logical argument that means she wins the bet and she just knew Buffy couldn't get a normal boyfriend.

"I don't think he's a demon either," Willow says ruining Faith's moment of triumph.

Giles looking concerned. "Willow what is it?"

"I can sense his power. We're talking a lot of power here Giles. Glory like power. Perhaps even stronger."

Well this is just great Giles thinks. Another god to face. The last one cost Buffy her life. What sacrifice will have to be made this time?

Back in the living room Clark and Buffy are getting changed. Buffy sees his face fill with worry. "Clark what is it?"

"Your friend, the redhead."

"Willow?"

"The witch?"

"Yep that's her."

"She can sense my power. They think I'm some sort of god like that Glory you mentioned," he tells her. Of course this Willow has to be a witch. Clark hates magic.

Buffy pats him gently on the arm to reassure him. "Don't worry Clark, We'll sort this out. It does mean telling them, you know, about your origin."

"I know," he reluctantly accepts. Clark had figured that it might come to that but that doesn't mean he has to like it.

Buffy kisses him trying to reassure him. Hell god. They think her boyfriend's a hell god. A little faith in her would be good. Wait, did she just call Clark her boyfriend? Yeah, she did. Ooh that sounds good. She likes that.

This is what Clark is always afraid of. That people will be afraid of him. He could hear the fear in Willow's voice. All he wants is to help people and to be here with his girlfriend. Wait, did he just call Buffy his girlfriend. Yeah he did. That sounds good. He likes that.

They both walk into the kitchen holding hands. They're greeted by the stares of Buffy's friends. "Clark these are my friends Faith, Willow, Xander and Giles. Guys this is Clark," Buffy says introducing everyone. They exchange awkward hellos.

Buffy decides it's better for her to do this herself. "Clark, why don't you take the truck and go bring something back for breakfast," she suggests to him.

Clark looks at her. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Then in a whisper "This will go faster if I do it by myself."

Clark gives her a quick kiss and leaves. Buffy sits at the kitchen table. "So come on then lets hear it," Buffy tells them knowing what is coming.

Faith speaks first. "Can we share him? I mean wow and I never say wow." Demon, hell god or vampire Faith really doesn't care because as she said WOW.

"Not in this lifetime Faith," Buffy warns her. Buffy means Faith's lifetime because after all she's on her third.

Giles speaks next. "We met your friend Chloe. She says you were attacked. By what?"

Ok Buffy can't help but notice they're avoiding the Clark issue even though Will looks queasy. Buffy sighs. "By Caleb," she informs them.

All 4 "What!?"

"The First resurrected him and he's stronger than before," she tells them but before she explain further she is cut off by Willow who says something Buffy doesn't expect.

"A-ha! I knew it. Clark Kent is a minion of the first. You're under a spell aren't you?"

Buffy's eyes open wide "What? NO! Clark saved me from Caleb and you will clear your heads of any thoughts that my boyfriend is a hell god," she tells all of them while wondering when did Willow become so quick to judge.

Xander speaks "Boyfriend? And how did you know what Will said?" he asks. There is too much weird stuff going on around here and they only got here like 15 minutes ago.

Oh crap. Buffy walked right into that one she realises. "Clark heard her," she admits. She might as well.

"From the other room?" Faith interjects.

"He's got really good hearing."

Giles senses the need to move things along but they would get back to the First/Caleb issue. "Okay Buffy fine we'll accept your word that he's not a hell god but Willow sensed great power in him. Are you aware of this?"

"Of course I am. We have an open and honest relationship," Buffy states proudly. First time for everything. Ooh bad choice of words.

Xander cuts back in "He knows you're the Slayer?" Xander always one for insight notes how Buffy has only been gone a few weeks and she's up to telling her boyfriend the truth of the weirdness of this world. She must really like him.

"Open and honest is what I said wasn't it," she says slightly annoyed at having to repeat herself.

Faith cuts to it. "B your dodging. Just get to the point. What is he?"

"He's a man," Buffy states. That's not a lie. Clark is the male of his species after all. They all look at her not buying it for one minute. "He's just not from around here," she says now copying Clark. He really does have this down.

Giles looks at her sternly and asks "Where is he from?"

Buffy in a small voice "Another galaxy."

Giles knows he must of misheard her. "Say that again," he requests.

Buffy louder this time "Another galaxy." She then watches in mild amusement as all 4 jaws hit the floor.

* * *

Clark was not wanting to go back any time soon so he parked the truck and supersped off to see Chloe. As usual papers flew off Chloe's desk as soon as he arrives at the Planet.

"Clark, what did I say about that," Chloe reprimands him rather annoyed.

"Sorry. I've got a lot on my mind," Clark mumbles. Like his secret being told to 4 complete strangers.

"Anything to do with Buffy's friends?" she queries knowing fill well that is exactly what it is. Chloe loves knowing more than Clark. The complete reversal of their friendship up to the point she saw him catch that car like a tinker toy.

"How did you know about that?"

"They came to see me asking where she was. What's the matter Clark?"

She met them and never phoned and you know what that doesn't even surprise him anymore. "The part where they caught me and Buffy naked on the couch or the part where they're at the farm learning all about the intergalactic traveller here."

"Buffy's telling them!" she exclaims with surprise before she truly registers the other bit he said. An evil grin forms. "Wait you were naked on the couch?" she asks. Chloe has to suppress the urge to start laughing her ass off at that.

Clark ignores Chloe's obvious amusement "Didn't have a choice. One of her friends is a witch. She could sense my powers just like Isobel."

"Wait, one of them is a witch. What are the other 3?"

"Well Faith, the brunette, is also a Slayer, Giles is or was Buffy's watcher, someone assigned to train her and Xander...well all Buffy said is that Xander is Xander. Don't know what that means."

Ok back to witches and magic and Chloe so doesn't want to be possessed again. "Well the I know an alien club is certainly expanding," she comments. She looks at the worry in Clark's face. "That's not the only problem is it?"

"No. When I was at the Fortress Jor-El warned be a great darkness was coming for me."

"Great, more Kryptonian criminals," Chloe says somewhat less than enthusiastic at that prospect.

"No. Not Kryptonian. I don't know exactly what it is but Buffy's fought it and won. This darkness is responsible for what happened to Sunnydale."

"Sunnydale's destruction was a victory? What would have happened if they lost?"

"Then this world would be overrun with superstrong monsters and have been destined to share the fate of Krypton,"Clark tells her. Avoiding that fate was about the only area where he and Jor-El agreed.

Ok strange evil forces are now on their enemies list. "Why can't our lives be normal?" Chloe asks Clark.

Clark shrugs helplessly and unable to answer that question. "I don't know. I better get back. I'm suppose to be shopping." Clark then leaves at superspeed leaving Chloe lost in thought.

* * *

Back in the kitchen Buffy is still waiting for someone to say something. Xander finally speaks. "Buffy when you say another galaxy do you mean he's an alien?"

"He prefers the term intergalactic traveller but yes."

Xander is in shock or he is the most excited he has ever been, he can't decide. A real life alien that is dating Buffy. She might finally have Mr Demon Magnet here beat for odd relationships.

Willow speaks "Aliens don't exist Buffy." Ok this is so wrong, demons and vampires I can live with but aliens with god like power that's going too far.

Buffy knows where Willows train of thought is heading. "Will if you say I'm under a spell again I swear to god..."

Faith cuts in "You can hardly blame her B. I mean an alien for goodness sake. Okay say I believe you for a moment that leaves one question. Are all the parts the same as on a human?" Hey so he's an alien. She didn't let the thought he might be a demon bother her.

"Faith!" Buffy exclaims before she rolls her eyes at such an atypical Faith response. Buffy feels the need to answer Faith's question. "Yes and there's not a chance I'm letting you examine him. Giles you okay?"

Giles is not really ok. This is strange even for them. He looks up at Buffy. "Yes. It's just a lot to absorb. This is beyond my expertise."

"Well start dealing because the First has an interest in Clark and we are going to protect him."

"The First? Why and how do you know it's after Clark?"

"Well I don't know why. Why does it do anything it does? And how I know is not important right now," she tells them. Buffy is really not wanting to mention the great big crystal palace at the north pole. Giles' head would probably explode.

Willow speaks up "Since when do you keep secrets from us Buffy. You wonder why I think you're under a spell. I can sense his power, it's scary. You are telling us nothing when it's obvious you know everything. What happened to the trust between us?"

This is great Buffy thinks. Clark trusts her with his secrets and now her friends won't trust her unless she shares with them. "Will, I really don't know why the First wants Clark."

"And Clark's power, what can he do?" Xander asks.

Buffy hesitates.

"If we want to find out it's simple. When he gets back I go out there and kick his butt," Faith suggests.

Buffy laughs. "Good luck there Faith. Considering he's virtually invulnerable the only butt getting kicked would be yours."

"Uh-huh. Well at least we know one thing he does have weaknesses," Faith replies smugly.

Buffy curses her stupidity. Xander repeats his previous question "What can he do?"

Buffy proceeds to list Clark's powers. She decides to leave out flying because he pretty much admitted he doesn't know how that one works and of course his weaknesses.

"Pretty interesting there B. You skipped over his vulnerabilities though," Faith observes.

Damn when did she get so observant Buffy wonders. "Clark trusted me with those and I mean to keep them secret," she replies to Faith.

"Keeping secrets, not really the way to earn trust Buffy," Xander points out.

"Clark is a good guy. He saves the world just like we do. In fact if he hadn't last year none of us would be here talking about this."

Last year? Giles thinks about it. Wait the global blackout and those earthquakes. The ones he spent a month researching. Giles needed to ask Buffy about that. "Last year, do you mean the global blackout and the earthquakes. You know where we did as it turned out lots of pointless research."

"Yep." Buffy snickers.

Giles' brow furrows "I don't see what's so funny."

"It's just all that research into what apocalypse the earthquakes signified and it was actually caused by aliens. Come on it's a little funny."

"Aliens?" Xander enquiries "There's more of them?"

"Yes, well no, not any more anyway. They were these criminals that escaped from the Phantom Zone but Clark stopped them and now we don't have to worry about them."

"Phantom Zone?" Xander enquiries again.

"Oh it's an inter-dimensional prison created by Clark's father to hold Kryptonian criminals."

All 3 look at her, her explanations causing more confusion than actually clearing anything up. Again its Xander asking the questions "Kryptonian?"

"Krypton was the name of his planet. Didn't I mention that?"

"No B you didn't. In fact your still not saying much of anything. It's like pulling teeth," Faith wryly observes.

Giles is quickly getting a migraine. They need to get back on track. He may not know about aliens but whatever the First wants with Clark it can't be good. Buffy's right they need to protect him and did she say his planet 'was' called Krypton. Giles speaks up "Was Buffy. You said it was called Krypton. What do you mean?"

"Was as is no longer exists. Clark is the only one left and while I can't be sure I think the First had something to do with Krypton's destruction."

"Not something. Everything," a second Buffy says.

They all turn round to find themselves face to face with The First.


	7. Part 1 Chapter 7

Clark is driving back after finally doing his shopping. He is thinking about Buffy's friends. Buffy had told him about them and from her description they seemed nice. He hoped they would overlook the alien thing and just see the real him. Giles had looked at him like a father who had caught his daughter in bed at first. He had looked embarrassed, Clark could sympathise. The only thing close to this morning was when his parents caught him and Lois in the bathroom. God that woman is embarrassing not to mention she used all the hot water and stole his favourite shirt. He still hasn't got that back yet. Faith had looked at him, well like the way Buffy has been looking at him. Great another love triangle, that's all he needs. As for Xander, he had to admit he had a hard time reading Xander so he didn't know what he thought. Of course that brings us to Willow. She had looked queasy and to be honest she made him uncomfortable as well. He hates magic. Clark didn't doubt Buffy that Willow was nice but after what Isobel did to him he was just uncomfortable around something that could hurt him. He arrives back at the farm, picks up the shopping and walks in only to find himself staring at 2 Buffys. What the hell?

As Clark walks in they all turn. The First/Buffy speaks "Well, the Last Son of Krypton. Do you know Kal-EL that you look just like your father?"

Buffy gets up and puts her arm around Clark. Clark looks at her "Buffy is this?"

Buffy nods. Clark looks at the First "How do you know my father?"

The First smirks "I know all. I live in all things. I am the dark desires that plague men's souls. Even yours Kal-El."

"You don't know anything about me," Clark retorts.

"Don't I?" The First morphs from Buffy into Kal. The First/Kal stares into Clark's eyes. "I think I know you very well."

Buffy feels Clark tense up. Clark stares at what might as well be his reflection. The arrogance, the swagger, the smug look of superiority. All the things that haunt him every time he reflects on his time under the influence of red kryptonite.

The First/Kal walks up to Faith. "To answer your question, yes there is enough of me to share and you know I prefer brunettes to blonds."

Next up is Xander "How's the eye? The one that sees everything, what a joke. You're not even worth the effort of me killing you."

Finally The First/Kal address both Giles and Willow "As for you two, yes I am that powerful witch." The word 'witch' said with distain. "And yes Rupert you should destroy me while you can because I am that dangerous."

For an encore The First/Kal walks up to Buffy. "Do you like me as much now? This is the real me you know, not this simpering idiot." It gestures at Clark. "You know I think I'll keep you around after I conquer the world. After all an Emperor needs an heir. Of course I could always offer that role to Faith here or Chloe, heck even Lois at a push."

Clark is getting more uncomfortable by the second. "Oh come on Clark, we both know the thought has crossed your mind after all Lois does have lovely legs; remember that day you walked in on her in the shower, not a blemish on her lovely, smooth, silky skin. I know you've dreamt about it."

It is now Buffy getting uncomfortable at these images. Her temper rising. The First/Kal smirks seeing it has hit a nerve. It walks over to the window and looks out. "Enjoy the rest of your day, because you know I created the night." It then disappears from sight.

Xander speaks first "Well that was different."

They're all looking at Clark. Buffy speaks up "What?"

"You know what B," Faith replies.

Giles is next "The First can only imitate someone who is dead."

Clark answers for Buffy "I've been dead, twice actually."

Willow cuts in "Ok while we will want to know about that, there is the fact that didn't seem quite like you."

"He, it is a part of me. It's my selfish side, brought out, made real. Lets just say I've done things I'm not proud of." Clark then proceeds to retell his red kryptonite rampage through Metropolis. He decided his annulled marriage to Alicia and his Valentines' day exploits with Lois were best left out.

Giles contemplates Clark as he talks. Giles can see the guilt virtually pouring out. Buffy's right, Clark is a good guy. When Clark's father had confronted him, Clark had destroyed the ring rather than kill. "Clark, while your actions were obviously selfish, you never resorted to killing." Giles is surprised when Clark winces. "Have you?"

Clark looks down at the floor "Did Buffy mention the escaped criminals from the Phantom Zone?" he asks and Giles nods in reponse. "It was my fault they escaped, and I vowed to hunt them down. I found one, Titan he was called, in an underground fight club for those of the super powered persuasion. He was a genetically engineered soldier, he lived only to fight and kill and he almost killed me."

"But you killed him first," Faith finishes for Clark.

Clark nods sadly. Buffy takes Clark's hand "That's self defence Clark," she tells him trying to make him feel better. His guilt over it all too obvious to see.

Clark looks at Buffy. "It's not that. It's just while I was beating him, for a second, I actually enjoyed inflicting pain on him. I don't believe in hurting or killing yet for a second I got enjoyment out of doing just that."

Giles then speaks out. "Clark you are a good person. Bad people don't feel guilt or remorse or sorrow the way you do." Giles is now definitely convinced Clark's a good person, after all he was feeling remorse for stopping basically a killing machine.

Xander breaks the solemn mood "Hey Clark, what did you get to eat?"

* * *

After breakfast Buffy finds Clark up in the loft. "Clark, you ok?"

Clark doesn't look round. "You don't think less of me do you because of what I did to Titan?" he asks afraid she might think just that.

Buffy shakes her head in annoyance at his stupidity. "Clark do you know how many vampires or demons I have had to destroy. So many that I lost count years ago. Now does that make you think less of me?"

Clark turns around and looks at Buffy "No, you're a beautiful person."

"Well then the answer is the same for me. Clark you stopped basically a killing machine. If you hadn't stopped it innocent people would have died."

"Innocent people had already died before I found him. He escaped because of me." Clark winces at that memory. If only he had listened to Jor-El he wouldn't have ended up in the Phantom Zone in the first place and the prisoners wouldn't have escaped at the same time he did.

Buffy is getting slightly irritated at Clark. "Ok Clark, we're going round in circles. You can only be responsible for your own actions."

Clark smiles. "You sound like Chloe."

"Good, I knew she was smart." She then walks up and kisses him.

After breakfast Willow had decided to speak to Clark. She had definitely misjudged him. Not entirely her fault, he did make her slightly queasy and by the looks he gave her over breakfast, she did the same to him. She needed to ask him about his powers. It was odd, they felt like magic but obviously weren't, him being an alien and all. She walks into the barn to find Buffy and Clark kissing. "Oh, your busy I'll come back."

They separate and Buffy speaks "It's ok Will, what is it?"

"I would like to speak to Clark if I could," Willow asks noticing Clark flinch.

Buffy saw how uncomfortable both Clark and Willow were around each other and decides they need to talk alone. "I'll go check on the others and leave you two to clear things up." She gives Clark a quick peck on the cheek and leaves.

Clark had been dreading this conversation but protecting his secrets was driving a wedge between Buffy and her friends. He had felt the tension over breakfast.

"How do your powers work?" Willow enquires. "Because it feels like magic but somehow isn't quite the same."

Clark looks out and up at the fiery ball that gives him strength. "The Sun. My body absorbs it's energy and stores it like a battery."

Willow thinks about that. Her powers came from the electromagnetic energy of the earth, his came from the electromagnetic energy of the sun, so it would make sense they would feel similar. She looks at him. He still looks uncomfortable. "What is it about me you don't like?"

Clark looks at her. He didn't not like her. He needs to explain. "It's nothing personal. A few years ago some witches, bad ones, came here and they tried to steal something that belonged to me. It made a bad first impression of witch kind."

Ok, Willow thinks, that's not the best first impression but she could just sense there was more to the story. "There's more to it than that isn't there."

Ok Clark, truth time, remember your doing this for Buffy. "It may surprise you to know, that with all my power I was barely able to stop them. They stripped me of my powers and made me mortal. Thankfully the object they were trying to steal restored them."

That's refreshingly honest Willow thinks. "If we're sharing truths you should know I also did some bad things"

"I know. You tried to destroy the world. Buffy told me."

"Wow, you do have an open and honest relationship. Why aren't you mad at me or something?"

"Buffy told me what happened to you, with Tara. I understand that kind of loss, a woman I loved died not too long ago. It doesn't mean I think the way you reacted was the best but equally considering some of the things I've done I'm probably not qualified to judge you either. You see before she died, this woman married someone else, that hurt a lot. That's why I was at that fight club. I was trying to numb the pain."

Willow certainly understood the pain of loss, but watching someone you love marry someone else. She wondered what was worst because either way the person is beyond your reach. They stand in silence both feeling that perhaps they're a little closer to understanding each other.

* * *

Buffy walks back in the house and finds Xander and Faith watching TV and Giles looking like he could use a book to read. Xander looks up "Where's Clark and Will?"

"I left them to resolve their issues," Buffy informs him.

"Issues?" Xander asks.

"Clark had a bad experience with witches and Willow, lets face it, has looked nauseous around Clark. I'm sure once they talk though it'll be fine."

"We should talk about the First," Giles says looking for a distraction from the TV.

"Yeah," Faith adds joining in. "What did it mean when it had everything to do with destroying Clark's home?"

"Not sure," Buffy responds. "Clark said it was destroyed by a global civil war and we all know the First exists to create chaos and destruction."

"It's possibly used its ability to manipulate those with darkness in their hearts to initiate the war," Giles theorises. This really bothers him. He knew in theory the First's power was virtually limitless but had it actually managed to destroy an entire civilisation?

Xander listens to this, surprised at himself how well he's taking it all. He had met an alien, a real one with super powers. Andrew would be so jealous. He had also taken the news about Caleb well he thought. The guy who took his eye. How would they deal with him now? According to Buffy he was more powerful than before but Clark had saved her. Is he really that strong? Well, Will did say he had Glory like power. He looks at Buffy and notes her injuries must have healed since he can't see any. Wait, Chloe said she was attacked a few days ago now. Why didn't she call? He then proceeds to ask her. "Buffy you were attacked days ago, why didn't you call?"

Buffy looks at Xander. Oops. She forgot about that. "Well the first night I was unconscious, you know, from the beating and I've been busy."

"Busy doing what B?" Faith asks with a smirk on her face. She already knows the answer but she isn't missing such an obvious opening to make Buffy uncomfortable.

Buffy blushes. Oh god she's actually blushing again. Clark Kent better be glad that she loves him. Giles sees Buffy blushing, a very rare thing. Not wanting more images in his mind like catching her on the couch this morning he refocuses on the current problem. "Well moving on. Buffy you said Caleb's here, what about Bringers?"

"I've only seen a couple," Buffy replies.

"There's more than a couple," Willow states as she walks in with Clark behind. "We, well Clark, saw some from the barn."

Clark elaborates. "They're gathering on the edge of the farm. Looks like they're preparing to attack."

"How many?" Buffy asks and is worried by the shadow that appears on Clark's face as he grimly answers "Several dozen."

Buffy walks up to Clark taking his hands in hers tries to reassure him "They can't hurt you."

"I know but with so many I can't protect you," Clark replies, worry etched on his face.

"Why don't you go and get them now?" Faith asks.

Willow replies to that one. "They're protected by a magical barrier, one even Clark can't break through. I can sense it from here."

Giles remembering the First said that they were to enjoy the day realises they have until sunset. Not enough time for reinforcements, but with Clark's help all they needed to do was to stay alive long enough for him to work his way through the Bringers. From what Buffy had said he was certainly more powerful than Caleb. The First, all knowing as it is, must have a way to neutralise Clark otherwise it wouldn't even attempt this. However, they had little time to prepare, they would just have to deal with it the best they could. Giles speaks up "Xander, get the weapons from the car. They'll probably attack after sunset. We have to prepare the best we can."

With someone who could move at superspeed, boarding up the house hadn't taken long. As the sun began to set Buffy finds Clark in the barn once again. She walks up behind him and wraps her arms around him. "Clark, I know how you feel about killing but..." she leaves it hanging.

"I understand Buffy. I was thinking from here I could hit them with blasts of heat vision, won't stop them all.."

"But will thin their numbers a bit," Buffy finishes for him.

Clark turns looking Buffy in the eye. "I couldn't bare to lose you. I love you as much if not more than anyone in my life. When we're together I don't fell alone."

"Clark, I love you too. You bring light, illuminating by otherwise dark world. You shine like the sun."

Clark smiles "That's what I think about you. You shine brighter than the sun that gives me my strength."

Buffy truly wonders if Clark is her soul mate. They have so much in common. Lone warriors trying to find where they belong in this world. From the moment she first saw him there has been an undeniable attraction. Like 2 suns pulled towards each other by gravity. Clark looks at Buffy thinking similar things. In only a few days she has so consumed him, he can no longer see a future without her. They kiss passionately, their lonely souls trying desperately to be united as one.

Willow, Faith, Xander and Giles are in the house waiting for the sun to set. Xander is looking out for Buffy to return. "So do you think it will last this time, you know Buffy and Clark?"

Willow replies "I hope so. He makes her happy. When they're together she looks at peace. We all know that is all she really wants."

"And if it doesn't work out I'm more than able to take her place," Faith says confidently. All 3 look at Faith. "Oh please, even Xander thinks he's hot."

Willow and Giles look at Xander. He looks back at them decidedly uncomfortable. "What I said was he's better than either Spike or Angel. Unlike them at least he's alive."

By this time the sun has set and Buffy walks in "They're coming," she informs them and then notices the guilty looks on their faces, well except Faith's. "Have you been discussing my love life again?"

Before anyone answers there is the sound of an explosion that Buffy knows must be Clark. The battle has begun.

* * *

As soon as the sun set the Bringers starting charging towards the house. As soon as they left the protection of the barrier they erected, Clark started shooting balls of heat energy. They exploded among the ranks of the Bringers. Clark reckoned he got half of them by the time they reached the house. He turns around and is about to superspeed in to the house when he comes face to face with Caleb.

"Well the Last Son of Krypton battling the Followers of the First Evil. The Last and The First in balance against each other. I'm always a big fan of balance especially since for my resurrection to hold I will have to exchange your girlfriend's life. I don't have to explain this to you though do I. After all you came back from the dead and all it cost you was the life of your father."

At the mention of his father Clark speeds forward grabbing Caleb around the throat. As soon as he has though he feels the familiar sickness that accompanies Kryptonite exposure. Caleb takes his hands from behind his back and in his right one is the glowing green rock that haunts Clark's dreams. Caleb hits him in the face with the rock and Clark falls from the loft onto the barn floor. Caleb walks down the stairs to find Clark struggling to his feet. "Tell me, is it irony or poetic justice that one as powerful as you can be brought to his knees by a little rock?"

Even if Clark could think coherently through the pain, he wouldn't answer. How could one choose to serve such evil, he would never understand.

Caleb kicks Clark in the ribs. Clark winded, rolls onto his back. Caleb places the rock on Clark's chest. The sound of Bringers crashing into the house catches his attention. "Now don't go anywhere. I just need to get your friends and I'll be right back." Caleb walks out of the barn. The First/Buffy is there. "Remember I need them alive," it tells him.

Caleb walks past it. "Now I wouldn't go forgetting that now would I? Making the one who resurrected me mad would not be wise."

Caleb enters the house unable to shake the feeling he's the one being used for a change but what can he do? His deity brought him back from the dead and could send him back there just as easily. He would do as his god demanded but somehow, somewhere he is going to get vengeance on that girl that killed him.

All 5 of the gang in the house watched in awe as Clark halved the number of Bringers. They were soon trying to break in. All too soon the wood splintered, the door fell in and the battle began. Boarding up the windows had meant the Bringers at least for the moment were coming through the narrow doorway. Buffy and Faith are easily able to block it and are holding back the Bringers. However, what is bothering Buffy is the fact Clark hasn't come back to the house like they had planned. Faith and Buffy are up to about a dozen Bringers when they suddenly stop attacking. All 5 are thinking that there's no way it's this easy and sure enough a few seconds later Caleb walks in the door. "Well now Cain and Able together again."

"Enough bible metaphors, where's Clark?" Buffy demands.

"Oh don't worry about him, you'll be joining him soon enough. It's interesting to note though how one so powerful can be beaten by a little green rock."

Green rock! Oh god, please don't be dead Clark is Buffy's only thought as she and Faith attack Caleb.

While Caleb enjoyed his new stronger form it was coming at the price of an extremely short life expectancy. If he didn't take someone else's life-force within a couple of days he would literally crumble to dust. Of course his first choice had been that wretched girl that killed him but now he was merely to capture her. Why? There was what his god had told him and whereas before he obeyed without question, his god's obsession with that boy, no matter how powerful he was, disturbed him. The two Slayers attack him, he catches the swords in his hands, sure they cut his skin but it's was a minor discomfort. He twists them out of their hands and throws them into the living area where the other 3 minor annoyances were. He watches with some glee as they dive out of the way of the flying swords. The Slayers attack him again. He blocks their blows and punches them both. Faith goes through the wall to the side. He would get back to her in a moment. Buffy had gone straight back. He moves over before she gets back up, grabs her hair and punches her in just the right place on her skull to knock her out. At this point Faith jumps on his back, he reaches back and flips her over his head. She lands on the floor in front of him giving him the opening he needs to hit her in the correct place on her skull. He sees her eyes roll as she too slips into unconsciousness.

Caleb now turns his attention to the other 3. The Watcher and the boy are no threat. The witch however was powerful but he knew a few spells himself, ancient ones long forgotten by man or woman. He chants one. Willow screams in pain as Caleb turns her own power against her and she collapses in a heap. The Watcher and the boy are easily subdued. Caleb signals for his Bringers to restrain them and to carry them out. Caleb walks out of the house wondering why his god had not given him this power last time. His god is standing there back in the form of that girl. He walks over to the barn to retrieve Kal-El and is reminding himself as he goes, it is not his place to question.


	8. Part 1 Chapter 8

Buffy wakes up, her head pounding. She's tied up and unfortunately from what she feels with well made restraints. She tries to get her eyes to focus. They're in the Kawatche caves. She looks around. Faith is starting to stir thanks to her Slayer powers but from the look of it Giles, Xander and Willow would be out a while. Where's Clark? There's a strange noise and she tries to locate it and there near the portal alter is Clark on the ground with a green rock on his chest. He looks in agony. Oh Clark. He's sweating and pale. He looks terrible. Buffy knows what the rock does, Clark's dying. At this point Caleb walks up to her and kneels down. "Well now, welcome back. If you're wondering why you're still alive don't let that thought trouble your tiny mind. I can assure you it's only temporary." He's fiddling with something in his hands. Buffy looks at it. It's a ring with a red stone. "Oh you noticed this." Caleb brings it before her eyes. "It's for your boyfriend over there and now you're awake the show can begin."

Faith had come around and had heard all this. "B what's that ring about?" she asks

Buffy doesn't answer, she's praying that red stone isn't what she thinks it is. Caleb removes the green kryptonite and throws it away. He takes the still weak Clark's right hand and slides the ring on. Buffy watches as a red glow travels up his veins. She looks at his face as his eyes turn red for a moment. Then his face changes. It becomes arrogant and smug just like The First had appeared like when it was mocking Clark in the kitchen.

Caleb speaks to Clark "How do you feel?"

Clark rises to his feet and replies in a single word "Free."

Clark then moves over to Buffy. "Clark?" she asks with a voice tinged with fear.

"Call me Kal." Kal then proceeds to kiss her roughly in contrast to Clark's gentleness. He pulls back and for a second she could swear she saw Clark's normal expression but Kal reasserts himself. He walks up to Caleb. "What makes you think I won't kill you now?"

Caleb reaches into his pocket and pulls out the hexagonal key. "You say you're free but you're not, not from your father" a Buffy like voice says. The First/Buffy appears out of the shadows. "I can show you a way to be free Kal. Then together we can get those things that your heart desires. Wealth and power."

Kal contemplates this. Free of Jor-El and his constant manipulations. Free of all that simpering concern Clark has for these creatures. Even though he has to admit his choice in Buffy was good. She does bring great pleasure. He wonders if Faith is as skilled and if her body is as nice to the touch. He then proceeds to x-ray Faith. Not bad at all. He looks at the First/Buffy. "What about these two," he points to Faith and Buffy. "Can I keep them?"

"Oh you can keep Faith," The First/Buffy tells him, "but Miss Summers here is a tool of your father. He sent her to you to make sure you followed his will and not your own path. You see Kal I'm on your side. I can show you how to be rid of her and your father."

Kal shakes his head in disgust. How many more of these instruments of Jor-El's will does he have to endure? "What do I have to do?" he asks.

The First morphs into Kal. "I told you I understood you. Caleb give Kal the key and bring her," it says pointing to Buffy.

Caleb hands the key over and goes over to Buffy. "What do you think of your boyfriend now? Selfish, greedy, vain and arrogant. A vast improvement don't you think?"

Buffy ignores him and tries to reach Clark. "Clark you can't listen to them. They're manipulating you."

Kal looks at her and scoffs. "And of course you're not. All you care about is getting Clark back. Well he's gone and I'm here to stay."

Caleb slaps her "I can't wait till I finally silence that tongue of yours."

Buffy continues to ignore him more interested in the slight flinch Clark gave when she was slapped. He's still in there. How does she reach him?

Caleb picks Buffy up and walks to the alter. Kal is focused on Buffy. There is a new mark on her face. How dare he hurt her? What is he saying? This isn't him. It's Kent. Shut up Clark, you can't help her he mentally tells his other half. Kal is in charge now. He shakes his head trying to push Clark away. He slots the key in and all 4 disappear.

Faith who has been watching the whole thing is trying to get loose. She looks over at the still unconscious Xander, Willow and Giles. "Obviously your not going to be any help." Now where did B and Clark go? This is just great. What choice is she getting in all this? Death or being a sex slave. "I'm sorry B you're on your own."

* * *

In the Fortress the 2 Kals, Caleb and Buffy appear. "So what do I do?" Kal asks.

The First/Kal walks over to Buffy. "First we get rid of Jor-El's allies then we get rid of him." It turns to look at Caleb. "Caleb it's time for your vengeance," it tells him.

Caleb pulls out a dagger. "Praise the all mighty. Time to die little girl."

Caleb draws the dagger back. Clark is raging inside Kal's mind. Before Kal realises it, he has superspeed over, taken Caleb's hand and plunged the dagger into his heart. Caleb stumbles back and looks down. He pulls the dagger out and dark power flows out the wound and into Clark. As the power flows into his body new impulses he has never felt before flow through him. Images of him conquering the people of this planet, millions bowing at his feet. His enemies like Lex crushed by his bare hands. He wonders what it would feel like to crush the life out of Lex Luther and Lionel as well. Those two are definitely first.

The Fist/Kal walks over to Caleb's body. It is dissolving into dust. "I was wondering when you were going to do that. Thank you Clark."

Buffy looks on in horror. Clark's eyes are now soulless orbs of black. When she hears the First thanking Clark anger surges. They've been used this whole time. This was all about getting Clark. "You tricked us and that isn't Clark," she spits out angrily.

"Not anymore certainly but it was Clark that killed Caleb. He couldn't watch the love of his life die. Love is both a terrible and wonderful thing. Men have committed great acts of courage for love but also atrocities beyond even what you can image Slayer." The First/Kal studies its new servant. "I see Clark is still hanging on but he'll give up fighting once you are dead." It turns back to look at Buffy while saying this. "Kill her," it commands of Kal.

Buffy watches as Kal nods in obedience and moves towards her, a sick smile on his face. He lifts her to her feet. She expects him to simply snap her neck but instead he breaks her restraints. She looks at him confused.

"Before I kill you I decided to have some fun. I'll even let you have the first punch. Come on hit me," he tells her as he mockingly points to his jaw.

Buffy doesn't move. She knows it's pointless. She can't hurt him. "No," she says refusing to obey him.

In response Kal slaps her. "Hit me!" he demands.

Buffy again refuses and Kal slaps her harder knocking her to the floor. She gets back to her feet but doesn't move. Kal goes toe to toe with her and brings his face inches from hers. "So that's it, the great Buffy Summers is going to die without a punch, a kick not even one of your famous pithy comebacks."

If she is going to die Buffy decides she can at least express her feelings to Clark. Clark enduring a nightmare imprisoned in his own body. The First said he was hanging on but once she's dead at least maybe they'll be together. "I have four words."

"Really?" Kal smirks and moves his face to literally millimetres away from Buffy's. "Lets hear them."

"I love you Clark." She then leans into his lips and kisses him. At first it is as cold and unfeeling as she feared it would be but then his lips part and he responds. It feels like Clark kissing her for a moment then Kal breaks it, his eyes still just as lifeless. He pushes her against one of the crystal columns, holds her round the throat and raises his right hand back. Buffy closes her eyes and then a loud crack echoes around the Fortress.

* * *

Clark is drowning in a sea of darkness. It feels like pieces of him are dying. His memories of childhood are now beyond recall. The light is fading, he can no longer see but he still hears. He hears his voice command that Buffy is killed. He screams "No, not her. I can't go on without her."

"I know," the voice replies and then laughs at him.

He hears another voice, Buffy's, saying she loves him. He tries to scream to her that he loves her too but no sound comes out. Then a light illuminates the darkness and he reaches for it. He feels it charge him like the sun does. The darkness around him fades. He can see again. He's in the Fortress and someone is kissing him. No, not someone. Buffy. He knows the feel of her lips. He responds desperate to hang on to her. But within moments he can feel the darkness returning. He notices his right hand. The ring. He has to get rid of it. He breaks the kiss, pushes Buffy against a column and raises his right hand.

CRACK!

He puts his fist into the column inches above Buffy's head. The ring shatters. Pain wracks his body and he falls to his knees. He can feel the darkness leaving, it is screaming in fury. He falls forward but is caught. He looks up and sees Buffy cradling his head, stroking him gently.

Buffy waited for the inevitable. She heard a CRACK but there was no pain. She opens her eyes. Clark had punched the column above her head. She watches as he collapses to his knees. She sees the dark energy pour out of his body. Life returns to his beautiful eyes and before he can fall forward she catches him. He had overcome the darkness, he couldn't let it kill her. She strokes his hair back gently. "You saved me."

"No," is Clark's reply. "You saved me. You drove away the darkness. Told you, you blazed like the sun."

Buffy laughs, tears now running down her face. She kisses his forehead.

The First/Kal looks on in disgust. "I offered you freedom and power and you rejected it for her. Compared to us they're lives are as a blink of the eye. I could have given you eternity."

Clark looks at it. "No. All you bring is death and destruction."

Suddenly Jor-El's voice boomed in the Fortress. "You have failed Dark One. Leave this place."

The First/Kal looks up. "He will fail Jor-El just as you did. This world will fall and your son cannot save it just as you could not save Krypton."

With that the First leaves. Buffy helps Clark to his feet.

"My son you have passed the trial," Jor-El tells him. "Your time of training draws near."

Clark knows he must undergo his training. He had learned in the last few days how much he didn't know about this universe. As much as he hated it, he would have to leave Buffy. He didn't possess the knowledge to protect her. He replies to his father. "I know. Allow me to ensure my friends as safe. I promise I shall return soon."

"As you wish my son," Jor-El responds. Buffy and Clark are enveloped in light and reappear in the caves.

By the time Buffy and Clark reappear they find the others awake. They soon untie them and begin to walk back to the farm. Buffy and Clark retell the events of inside the Fortress. Buffy laughs at Giles' reaction when Clark explains that the Fortress contains knowledge from 28 galaxies. Honestly, for a second she thought his head might explode. The sun is just rising as they reach the farm. As they approached the house Buffy feels Clark tense up and then she sees a red haired woman on the porch.

"Clark who's that?" Buffy asks.

"That would be my mother," Clark replies.

Buffy considers this. His mother? She doesn't think she has ever met her boyfriends' mothers. Well this is going to be interesting. She wonders what Clark's mother will be more upset about. The fact they wrecked her house or the fact she's sleeping with her son. Oh god Buffy, don't mention sex to her.

Clark takes Buffy's hand in his and waves. "Hey Mom," he greets her loudly.

* * *

Martha Kent has been worried about her son. They had barely spoken since Lana's death and from what she had heard from Chloe he had been moping around the farm for weeks. She decided to clear her schedule for a few days and check up on him. It is early morning when she gets back to the farm. She finds fires in the fields beside numerous craters. When she gets to the house she finds the windows boarded and the front door broken through. She then finds bodies, lots of them. It looks like a battlefield. She finds the courage to look at one of them. Where eyes should be there were strange symbols. She wonders if they are some sort of alien. Perhaps another one of Jor-El's enemies trying to avenge themselves on Clark. Now where was Clark? That is what truly frightens her. She looks around the house. They are bodies in the entrance and a hole through a wall she thinks looks about person size.

Upstairs seema ok. Her old bed is a mess. Clark had obviously been sleeping here. Out of habit she begins to make it only to find a pair of women's underwear in it. Ok Clark better have a good explanation for this. It occurs to her she is more upset about the thought of her son sleeping with some girl, unknown to her, than the mess downstairs. Well Martha you take in an alien boy you have to expect weirdness. The weirdness she could handle but like any parent the thought of her son having sex still seemed to disturb her. Remember Martha he is an adult. You and Jonathan raised him well. You have to trust him. Now if only she could convince herself of that. The sun begins to rise and she hears voices. She walks onto the porch and sees Clark and 5 other people. She raises an eyebrow with interest when Clark takes the hand of the blond girl walking next to him. Well at least she knows whose underwear it is.

"Clark Kent you better have a good explanation for all this," she says as she points around the farm. She pulls out the underwear. "And this."

Clark can feel his face heat up as he goes red and he notices even Buffy is looking embarrassed. Faith on the other hand is doing all she could not to burst out laughing.

It is Giles who comes to the rescue sort of. "Mrs Kent, my name is Rupert Giles," hesays introducing himself and extending his hand which Martha takes and shakes it. "I can certainly explain the first part but as for the second part I'm afraid your son is on his own. We should go and sit down it's a long story. The others can clear up this mess."

Giles is impressed at how calmly Mrs Kent takes all he has to tell her but then again she had raised a super powered alien from the age of 3. Power corrupts. He knew that better than most but she had raised Clark to be someone who only wanted to help. She and her husband were remarkable people. He hopes to cultivate a friendship. After all she is a Senator. Someone in her position could prove useful when it came to protecting the other slayers. In the old days the Watchers Council had friends in positions of power. He didn't know how many were left so he needed all the friends he could find.

Martha had absorbed all this news surprising well she thought. So demons and vampires exist but is that any stranger than aliens. So she had gotten the whole story of how this First Evil tried to corrupt her son. He had fought it and won proving to her that Clark's inner strength was more important than his actual powers. So that just left what was going on between her son and Buffy. Martha wasn't quite sure what her parents were thinking naming their daughter that but it wasn't her place to question. "So Mr Giles, what is going on between Buffy and my son?" she asks.

Giles has been dreading this part. "I know they care for one another."

Faith walks in at this point. "I think we all figured that out when we caught them on the couch with no clothes on."

Martha sees Giles visibly cringe and realises that must be true. Oh Clark Kent you are in so much trouble she thinks to herself.

"I must apologise for Faith. She can be rather blunt sometimes," Giles says trying desperately to get out of this.

"No that's ok. After dealing with politicians in Washington I find honesty refreshing," Martha replies.

Faith sticks her tongue out at Giles and Martha shakes her head in mild amusement. She excuses herself and decides it's time to talk to Clark. She goes outside and finds that the bodies of those Bringers as Mr Giles had called them are gone. Having a son who could dig a pit at superspeed was useful at times. She finds Clark in the barn putting tools away. He looks around at her. "Hey Mom. Did Giles explain everything to you?"

"Yes but more important are you okay? Giles told me that this First infected you with dark power."

Clark's face visibly darkens. "I'm fine. It was just disturbing. It released all those dark impulses that you normally lock away. While it was in me the thought of hurting, killing, destroying actually seemed attractive."

Martha hugs Clark. "But you fought it."

"Not by myself. It was Buffy's love for me that brought light to the darkness and Mom you should know I'm in love with her as well."

Martha pulls back and studies him. For someone in love he's looking very sad. "Clark honey, what's the matter?"

Clark sighs. "I have to leave for my training with Jor-El."

What? This was all they needed. Her son would be leaving her for some unknown length of time. "When?"

"Soon. I was going to fix the house then come to Washington to tell you."

"And Buffy?"

"I love her Mom but without my training I can't protect her or you or this world," Clark tells her. He obviously didn't want to leave but he could no longer put it off.

At this point he notices Buffy has entered the barn and had obviously overheard them speak.

* * *

Buffy had been gathering up the Bringers' bodies. She watched as Clark dug this huge pit in a matter of seconds. Jor-El had said his training was at hand. Did that mean he would be leaving her? They really needed to talk. Once the bodies were buried Clark went to put the tools away and Buffy saw his mother enter the barn. Her curiosity got the better of her and she went over and eavesdropped. Oh god he is going to have to leave. She then realises Clark has noticed her. Mrs Kent makes some excuse and leaves them alone. "You really have to go don't you?"

Clark is looking very sad by now. "I do and so do you. Those other slayers need guidance from someone wise, charming, beautiful..."

They both chuckle and Buffy walks up and hugs Clark. "You know flattery gets, well in your case, my underwear getting found by your mother."

Clark pulls back and looks into Buffy's eyes "I can't ask you to wait for me."

"No you can't but I want to. You said I saved you from the darkness, well it's true for me also. Slayers are haunted by the memories of the previous slayers. Dreams full of monsters but since I've been with you I haven't had one. We were meant for each other Clark. We are the same, in the world but not part of it. When I'm with you I don't feel alone anymore."

"Buffy you make me feel the same," he admits honestly. She really did. All he ever wanted was to fit in, be normal. Buffy made him feel like that. She ignored the alien with super powers and saw the real him underneath. "But I could be away for a long time," he feels the need to point out.

"I'll wait." She then proceeded to kiss him. They stand there exploring each other's mouths, the feel, the taste, trying to commit it to memory.

It's decided over dinner that Giles, Xander, Willow, Faith and Buffy would leave in the morning. Clark needs to tie up a few things to do with the farm and say his goodbyes to Chloe and Lois. Clark and Buffy sneak away to spend one more night together. They spend the night slowly making love, exploring every inch of each others bodies, savouring the taste and the feel. The world around them dissolves leaving only the 2 of them with waves of pleasure coursing through their bodies. Next morning Buffy wakes up wrapped in Clark's arms in the middle of a field. He is gently kissing her shoulder. When he sees she's awake he reaches over and picks up a box and hands it to her.

She opens it and inside is the bracelet Kyla had given Clark, the one destined for his soul mate. "What's this?" Buffy asks.

"A gift for you. A friend once told me that bracelet was destined for my soul mate. I have no doubt that that is you."

Buffy puts the bracelet on and the gem in it glows. "It's beautiful. I suppose we should get back though before your mother comes and finds us. I still can't believe she found my underwear."

Clark starts picking up his clothes. "I know. At least she didn't catch us on the couch or worse coming out the bathroom like me and Lois."

Buffy raises an eyebrow. "You and Lois in the bathroom huh? Am I going to have to slay her?"

Clark suddenly cursing his own stupidity for saying that "No, no. She was staying with us and just barged in when I was in the shower," he tries to explian. Clark is almost sweating under Buffy's stare.

"At least she'll never have the memory of what we did together in the shower," Buffy reminds him trying to blank out this memory of Lois.

Clark feels a sudden wave of heat at that memory. It's a good thing he learned how to control his heat vision years ago or he would have just burned half the field. "We should get back before you bring up more memories like that. Otherwise we'll never get back."

They get dressed and walk back to the house hand in hand. They find Willow, Giles, Xander and Faith waiting for them. "B, just because your getting some and others like well me aren't, it isn't necessary to rub our faces in it," Faith complains.

"In your case Faith it is necessary," Buffy retorts before she turns to Clark and kisses him for what she knows is going to be the last time for a long time. "I love you Clark."

"I love you too Buffy," Clark responds as he pulls in for one last hug.

Faith shakes her head. "Alright enough. We've got a long drive ahead of us and Xander if you suggest taking the scenic route you are walking back."

Clark says his goodbyes to the gang and watches them drive off.

A few days later Clark has said his farewells to Chloe, Lois and his mother. He told Lois he was travelling round the world on a journey of self discovery. She was actually surprisingly supportive. He looks around the farm one last time and superspeeds to the caves. He inserts the key and is teleported to the Fortress.

"Father, I have returned for my training."

"Kal-El." Jor-El's voice sounds softer than before. "Your training must begin with a question."

Clark knows the question, the only question he has ever wanted to know. "Who am I?"

A beam of light encircles him and the holographic images of Krypton begin. Jor-El's teachings begin. "Your name is Kal-El. You are the only survivor of the planet Krypton. Even though you've been raised as a human being you are not one of them. You have great power..."

End of Part 1.


	9. One Year Later

**One year later**

To some people a year may not seem like a long time but to Clark Kent it has been a lifetime. In the last year he has learned all the knowledge of Krypton. His memories of Smallville swamped by vast amounts of information. He clung on to the few most important memories, his parents, Chloe, even Lois but especially Buffy. She had said she would wait and he had vowed he would see her again. After a year his old clothes had long since deteriorated. He is having the Fortress make him a suit, something that honours his heritage. The red and blue colour he chose. Emblazoned on it is the symbol of his house in red and yellow. He decides on a cape, in honour of robes that Kryptonians wore but a cape would be more appropriate for someone who now flew.

His training wasn't over. While he now possessed the knowledge he had learned it was his role to lead humanity to a better way. His father had put it like this; 'They can be a great people, they wish to be, they only lack the light to show the way. That's why I have sent them you my only son'. To lead them he had to understand them and to do that he intended to travel the world, living among its peoples. He had a few things to do first. One go home and get more appropriate clothing. Two he would check up on his mother and maybe Chloe and three he would keep his promise and see Buffy again. He put on his new suit and then propels himself upwards into the sky followed by a sonic boom.

Flying was a thrill to Clark. He felt so free, able to defy gravity. Unfortunately he also flew fast and it was only minutes before he approached the house in Smallville. He tuned in his hearing to discover that both his mother and Chloe were there. Hey he could kill 2 birds with one stone. It's night time so it's easy enough to avoid being spotted as he glides down to the farm. Once he lands he isn't quite sure what to do, should he knock or just go in. Since they weren't expecting him he thought it better to knock. He walks up to the door and gently knocks.

Martha Kent and Chloe had decided to get together on the 1 year anniversary of Clark's departure. After all only the 2 of them knew the truth of where Clark went, they only had each other to talk too. Chloe reflects on the year without her friend. The world slowly seemed to be falling apart. Lex was scheming his way to own half of Metropolis, he had finally dealt with Lionel. Sure the official autopsy said it was a heart attack but Chloe knew better. A few months after Clark left Lana returned after faking her death. What had happened to that girl who was once so sweet, Chloe didn't have any idea. She had practically threatened Chloe to try and find out where Clark was. Even if she been inclined to tell her, which she wasn't, Clark had taken the key with him. Chloe wasn't even sure exactly where the Fortress was located in the arctic. Chloe soon found out that Lana had become obsessed with trying to take Lex down and she knew for certain that that was going to end badly, probably for Lana. Her thoughts are interrupted by a knock on the door.

Martha Kent had spent most the last year terrified Clark would come back as the Kal-El personality from before when Jor-El brainwashed him. If that happened again she and Chloe would end up having to try and stop him. Chloe told her of Lana's return. That girl had changed and not for the better. She didn't know how Clark would take the news, that's assuming he is still Clark when he returns. Her thoughts are interrupted by a knock on the door. At this time? She gets up and opens it. Standing there is a man in a red and blue suit. There's a Kryptonian symbol on his chest. She looks at his face. He speaks "Hey Mom."

Martha's eyes widened. "Clark!" She hugs him with all the strength she has. Clark's glad he's invulnerable, a normal person would be being squeezed to death. His mother breaks the hug and Clark walks in. "Hey Chloe," he greets her too. He's a little taken aback when she leaps forward and hugs him in a death grip similar to his mother.

Chloe eventually breaks the hug. She can't believe it, her friend is back and what is he wearing? She examines the suit and cape. Now the cape she likes but the material is like none she had ever seen. On closer examination it looks like it was made of tiny crystals. The surface is broken with tiny hexagons of material. "What are you wearing Clark and what is it made of?"

Clark smirks. Same old Chloe, always the investigator. "Well my old clothes didn't really stand up to a year of training. I based this on Kryptonian formal wear and as for the material, there is no translation of its name in English," he informs her.

Martha stares at her son. He's still her son yet he's different. He's more comfortable with himself like he has finally come to terms with the human and Kryptonian sides of his nature. She wonders if he has been eating properly. She's still his mother after all and she worries about him. Saying that he actually looks slightly bigger than he was before he left. "Clark honey, we were about to have dinner. Will you be staying?"

Clark had discovered he didn't actually need to eat, that the sun alone could sustain him but he could barely remember what his mother's cooking tasted like. He could remember that he liked it a lot. He needed to get some new clothes anyway if he was going to blend in. "Sure Mom. You can tell me what I've missed this last year."

After dinner Clark finds himself in the barn up in the loft. He has changed into a shirt and jeans. Dinner was great, like tasting food for the first time again. His mother and Chloe filled him in on all the events of the last year. Lex was clearly a lost cause and sadly it seems so was Lana. What logic dictated that by faking her death she was protecting him. Now she was obsessively stalking Lex for lack of a better term. He hears Chloe approach, heck he could hear her heartbeat from orbit if he wanted to.

"Hey Clark are you ok?" she asks him after finding him up in the loft. That is where he always went to brood especially when it involoved Lana.

"I'm fine Chloe," he tries to reassure his friend.

"I was talking about Lana. I remember how you feel how about her."

"How I felt about her Chloe. I grieved for her and I moved on. From what you say she's not the person I fell in love with. Besides I'm still in love with Buffy. A year in the Fortress hasn't changed that. You don't happen to know where she is do you?"

"Not exactly. We kept in touch, mostly when they need help with one of the slayers. They set up a base in Scotland somewhere."

Scotland? Well that narrows it down. It shouldn't take him long to search a single country Clark muses.

"You're going to find her aren't you?" Chloe asks and Clark nods in reply. Chloe doesn't dwell on it and changes subjects. "So any cool new powers?"

Clark knows what one she wants to know about, the flying. "Not really. More a refining of my existing ones. I can detect specific wavelengths with my eyes, not just x-rays. I could examine your eternal organs if I wanted to."

Chloe is slight grossed out by that. "Clark you do know how creepy that is right?" Clark shrugs so Chloe moves on once more. "Anything else?"

"I can control the temperature of my super breath, cooling things down or warming them up."

Chloe is on to his game. "Still float in your sleep?"

"Only if I want to."

"Ok Clark cut to it, what about the flying?"

Clark then proceeds to levitate himself above the floor.

"That is awesome!"

"I actually flew here. That's why I added the cape. I thought it would look cool when I'm flying." There is a slight pause in the conversation. "I can't stay Chloe. I have a destiny to fulfil," Clark says with a tinge of sadness.

"Last time you said that it involved conquering the human race," Chloe reminds him.

"I'm here to lead Chloe not conquer; to show there is a better way but to do that I need to understand the peoples of the world. I have to travel and live amongst them."

"And where does Buffy fit in this?"

"My life is never going to be easy. I need someone who is not afraid to tell me when I'm in the wrong but support me at the same time."

"When are you going?"

"A few days. I need some new clothes first."

"No, what you need is a whole new wardrobe. Luckily I'm here." Chloe has a look in her eye that Clark remembers all too well. He's in trouble.

* * *

A few days later Buffy is getting ready for bed. Another day training slayers and battling the minions of hell. She goes to a drawer and gets out a picture she picked out a year ago. A picture of him. She has looked at this every day for a year now. She is interrupted by a voice behind her.

"I thought it was to do with him. That's why you been so rough on everyone lately." Willow is standing in the doorway.

Buffy cringes slightly. Willow's right. She has been rotten to everyone lately. Her temper is short and in training she had been giving no leeway at all. Even Faith has been easier on them. "I'm sorry Will. I miss him and with it being more or less a year since he left it just seems worse than usual. I promise I'll try to keep my temper in check."

Willow shakes her head. "Buffy the rest of us are pretty tough. It's you I'm worried about. I know you said you'd wait but perhaps you should move on."

Buffy puts the picture down. "No Will. He will come back. I can feel it, feel him. I can't explain it." Buffy is still wearing the bracelet Clark gave her a year ago. The gem glows in response to her words but neither her or Willow notice it.

Willow walks up to Buffy and puts her hands on Buffy's shoulders. "Love can never be explained. If you want to wait then I'll wait with you," she assures Buffy. After Buffy's her friend and Willow will be here for her. They then hug and Willow leaves. Buffy then tries to get to sleep. Something she didn't get a lot of since Clark left. She lays down and whispers to the ceiling "Come back soon Clark."

Little does Buffy know that far above her, hovering above the clouds is Clark, tuning in his hearing. He eventually picks up Buffy's conversation with Willow and hears her quiet plea. He shoots down, sonic boom in his wake and soon comes across the castle that Buffy and the others had set up as a base.

Buffy is awoken by knocking on her window. She's annoyed. Firstly she was just asleep and secondly her window is twenty feet up. Who the heck can this be? If this is a practical joke by one of those girls she is going to triple their training regime. She opens the curtains to find a man in a red and blue suit and red cape hovering outside her window. Out of sheer curiosity she opens the window and looks at him. Wow is he built. She studies his face and looks at his eyes. Those eyes, his eyes. "Clark!" She then jumps out the window and wraps herself around him, kissing him for dear life. Oh god his kiss. It's better than she remembers.

It hadn't taken Clark long to find Buffy's room, x-ray vision was definitely useful. He flies up to her window and knocks. He hears her get up and mutter something about those girls. She approaches the window. God, is he sweating? She opens the curtains and then the window. She examines him, trying to work out who he is. Is she more beautiful than before? They lock eyes and then to his complete surprise she jumps out the window and wraps herself around him. She kisses him. Oh god her kiss. It's better than he remembers.

Eventually they break apart. Buffy then realises they're floating 20 feet above the ground. "As cool as this is can we go inside?"

Clark smiles gently. "Sure," he says as they gently float in the window and he places Buffy gently down.

Buffy stumbles back a bit, her legs like jelly. "Nice suit," she stutters out.

"You too but isn't that shirt mine?" Clark asks with a knowing grin on his face because he would definitely recognise one of his shirts.

Buffy looks down. She is wearing one of Clark's shirts that she borrowed a year ago. She quickly moves on. "So flying huh, that's new. Any other new powers?"

Clark chuckles. "You sound like Chloe and as I told her it is mostly refinements on my existing powers. If you want I can tell you what colour underwear you're wearing?"

Buffy goes beat red "I'm actually not wearing any."

Clark leans forward and whispers in a tone that sends shivers up her spine "I know."

"Are you staying? For good I mean?" Buffy asks hopefully.

"No. I don't have to go back to the Fortress but I need to travel the world so I can understand its people but I needed to see you first. I thought about you a lot. I need you Buffy. I need someone who's not afraid to tell me when I'm wrong."

"Well you know me, never slow to express an opinion," Buffy weakly jokes while she wonders how can he do this to her. Appear and then leave again. "How long will you be here?" she inquries.

"Long enough. Buffy our relationship is never going to be easy. I can't be here all the time but I can come back in literally minutes from anywhere in the world. Please tell me you're at least willing to give it a try," Clark pleads. He has tears in his eyes.

Buffy now has tears in her eyes. Is some of the time enough? They only spent a few days together but she's done nothing but think of him every day since. "Yes, I'll try."

Clark cups her face and gently kisses her. Buffy's response is anything but gentle and by the way her hands are exploring his body Clark knows where this is headed. He has to stop her thought. He has one question to ask her first. He breaks away. "Buffy believe me I want to do this but first I have a gift for you."

Buffy is slightly annoyed and extremely frustrated. Its been a year for goodness sake. She watches as he reaches behind and pulls out a small box. "Do you have a hidden pocket back there or something?"

"Yes actually," Clark replies as he hands over the box.

Buffy takes the box and opens it. "Ok I'm confused. A lump of coal? You know that diamonds are a girls best friend right?"

Clark in his most mocking tone. "Really. Well I'll just have to correct this."

Buffy watches Clark take the coal and crush it in his hand. She can feel waves of heat emanating from his hand as well. She is speechless when he opens his hand to reveal a perfect diamond. She then sees him take a ring that was inside the box as well and proceed to set the diamond to it. Clark then gets on one knee and speaks "Buffy Summers I love you and to prove to you that I will always be around will you marry me?"

Buffy is speechless for the second time in like 2 minutes, a new record. She is conflicted. Sure she loves Clark but lets face it she loved the other men in her life as well. However, she never went running back to them, not even Spike after she found out he was alive. She waited for Clark for what but this moment. "Yes, I will."

Clark places the ring on her finger and picks her up, kissing her with as much strength as he dare use. The kisses intensify and before long they are floating towards the bed. Clark can't predict the future but he knows one thing for certain. That his and Buffy's destinies are entwined together. The Last Son and the Slayer.

The End of One Year Later.


	10. Part 2 Chapter 1

**Entwined Destinies: The Last Son and The Slayer Part 2**

Summary: Picks up immediately where One Year Later left off. Clark and Buffy's reunion is interrupted by events in LA (NFA) and two of Clark's deadliest enemies return along with a certain ex-girlfriend. Can they survive all this and fulfil their entwined destiny? Clark/Buffy Angel/Cordy.

Disclaimer: I still don't own any of these characters but I am eternally grateful to those who did create them.

Author's note: Yay, my long awaited sequel. For a while I thought about writing this as a completely separate story but after trying to start it for the third or fourth time I came up with this. The problem with this version though is it starts immediately after my last one finishes so I decided to just to tag it on to my original story. Hence it is no longer complete.

Please note my complete disregard for the season 6 Angel comics and Smallville canon post Bizarro and my lip service to the season 8 Buffy comics. I set this in the A/U of my original story. Also I will be using this to tell a version of what I wanted to happen after NFA because it annoyed me no end that Angel and Cordy didn't get together so be prepared for a quite a bit where there is no real focus on Clark and Buffy but rest assured I do get back to them.

Well I think I've waffled enough so please enjoy and as always feel free to review.

* * *

Buffy is lying in bed on top of Clark, engagement ring on finger and Clark's arms wrapped around her. His muscles are slightly bigger and even more defined than they were before he left a year ago. She is slowly trailing her finger along their outline. A part of her is thinking she should sleep but she's afraid this might be a dream and Clark will disappear if she falls asleep. She considers it a bonus Clark possesses an eidetic memory. They had spent the last few hours making love and he had remembered exactly how to bring her to her peak. Good god she screamed his name to the heavens, everyone in the castle probably heard it. Oh well, who cares? She is thinking about what he said. He has to travel the world he said and understand its peoples. Why doesn't she go with him? In an emergency he could fly her back here in minutes. She could even check up on the other slayer cells spread across the world while they were at it. "Clark?"

Clark has his eyes closed but is still awake. He is savouring the feeling of Buffy lying on top of him. The feeling of her soft skin against his own. "Yes Buffy"

"Can I come with you?"

Clark opens his eyes "Sorry what?"

"On your travels. Can I come with you?"

Clark hadn't really thought about that. Of course he hadn't really been thinking about anything for the past few hours except making love to Buffy. God it had felt so good, they still seemed to fit each other perfectly.

"Clark?" Buffy asks.

"Hmm"

"You drifted off there"

"Sorry"

"What were you thinking about?"

"You, us, the last few hours"

Buffy grins "Yeah they were a good few hours. By the way who's Rao?"

Clark looks at Buffy "Where did you hear that?"

"You said it about an hour ago"

Clark blushes "I did?"

"You did. You said oh Rao Buffy that's amazing"

"It's the Kryptonian name for God. Rao is the Kryptonian god"

"Oh so you were saying oh God Buffy that's amazing"

Clark's blush deepens "Yes I was and you are amazing"

"Yeah I know but back to my question. Can I come with you?"

"I don't see why not but it isn't going to be a picnic Buffy. There aren't going to be 5 star hotels. This will entail actually living amongst people, following their customs and cultures"

"It doesn't matter as long as we're together"

Clark smiles and kisses the top of Buffy's head. She slides up and kisses him full on the lips. He returns the kiss and moves onto kissing her jaw and is moving on to her neck when the door shoots open and in walks Xander. He stares at them lying there naked, puts his hand over his one eye and screams "My eye, oh god my precious eye. I'm blind, I'm blind". His histrionics stop for a moment "Oh hi Clark by the way". before he's back to his histrionics "Oh my god I'm blind!"

Buffy grabs the sheet trying to cover herself and Clark up when Willow walks in "What is going on?" Her eyes widen at the sight in the bed "Oh hi Clark"

Clark puts on his goofy smile and waves "Hi Willow" His cheeks burn red.

From there things go downhill when Dawn walks in "Ok what is going on, I'm trying to sleep" She sees Buffy naked on top of an incredible looking man. She can't help but stare.

"Dawn!" Buffy yells. Oh for goodness sake, her sister shouldn't be seeing this.

"Going to introduce me Buffy?" Dawn asks with surprising calm.

Buffy groans. This could only happen to her. "Dawn this is Clark. Clark this is my sister Dawn who will now be leaving"

"Oh so this is Clark. I was beginning to think you made him up"

"What! I told you all about him" Buffy looks at Clark "I swear I told her about you"

"Of course and it was so believable, a man from the another planet. If it wasn't for Xander and Willow I would have said you imagined it"

Clark can't help but note they're all getting away from the fact that he and Buffy are lying here naked in front of Buffy's little sister. "Buffy, we're still.." Clark gestures with his eyes.

"Oh right. Everyone needs to leave so we can get changed and can get to why Xander barged in here in the first place"

"Ok then. Oh by the way Buffy is that a new ring?" Xander asks as he points to the ring on Buffy's left hand.

Willow notices it for the first time "Buffy is that an engagement ring?"

"Yeah" Buffy says rather sheepishly. Clark is slowly dying at all this.

Dawn stares at it and stutters the words out "What? Engagement? When?"

"When Clark showed up and crushed a lump of coal into a diamond for me? Now if that doesn't say love, I don't know what does. Now everyone out!" Buffy demands.

All 3 leave. Buffy looks at Clark "I have got to get locks installed on that door"

"At least we have a sheet this time" Clark replies, referring to the time they were caught on the couch on the farm

"Yeah well, come on lets get changed. I want to see their faces when you walk out in that suit" Buffy points to Clark's red and blue costume.

"Hey don't mock my fashion taste. I designed that suit"

"And you look gorgeous in it" Buffy kisses Clark "but it's not everyday wear"

"I was in a rush, I wanted to see you"

Oh he's just so sweet. "I love you" Buffy kisses Clark again.

"I love you" Clark replies. "Buffy" Clark says in between kisses.

"Yeah"

"They're waiting"

"Who? What? Oh yeah" Buffy sighs and gets up and so does Clark.

* * *

Outside the door Dawn, Willow and Xander are waiting. Xander is rubbing his eye "I can't believe we had to see that again"

"I know" Willow adds

"What are you two complaining about? I never got to see it the first time. Why did no-one tell me that Clark looked like that?" Dawn complains. "I never get to find someone like that"

"How about because you're a teenager and technically you're not old enough to do that" Willow tells her.

"I am in this country" Dawn hits back. "In Scotland the age of consent is 16"

"Yeah but don't tell Buffy that or she'll ship you back to the states before you can say age of consent" Xander warns her.

They turn as the door opens and Buffy and Clark walk out.

Xander looks at Clark in his costume "Now why can't I get a cape?"

"You don't fly" Buffy tells him.

All 3 look at Clark. "You fly now?" Willow asks flabbergasted.

"So do you" Buffy points out to Willow.

"Yeah but that's by magic. How does he do it?"

Clark shrugs "I just do. It's natural like it's natural for you to walk or run. If you want to race sometime I should point out I can break the sound barrier quite easily"

Willow just shakes her head "No thanks. I like to keep at speeds below 700mph"

"Ok back to why Xander barged in?" Buffy wants to know why her reunion sex was interrupted.

"What? Oh right. Picked up earthquakes from LA" Xander answers.

"Fly!" Dawn shouts "You can fly. Why doesn't anyone tell me these things?"

"Well a year ago I could only float and that usually only happened in my sleep" Clark points out.

Dawn just shakes her head. "You just don't do normal boyfriends do you?" she asks of Buffy.

"Clark's normal more or less but can we get back to why I am getting disturbed for run of the mill tectonic stresses" Buffy demands to know.

They all look at her.

"What?" she asks

"Tectonic stresses. Have you been watching the national geographic channel again?" Xander asks.

"Maybe. Not my fault we can't get a decent cable package" Buffy replies.

"Well we're getting away from the point. The quakes are caused by portals opening, large ones"

Buffy rolls her eyes "Angel!"

Clark looks at her "Angel? As in you're ex-boyfriend?"

"Don't be jealous. We're engaged now" Buffy says to Clark.

"I'm not jealous" Clark says defensively. "Although I can always fry him with my heat vision" he mutters under his breath.

Buffy hears Clark's mutterings but ignores them "Well we better get going before the world ends. Again! Willow can you fix up a teleport spell? Have a feeling we're going to need the troops"

"Sure. Might take me a little while for one that large though" Willow points out.

"I can get there in a few minutes" Clark points out.

"You're helping?" Buffy asks

"Can't let the world end now can I?"

"You can carry me then" Buffy tells him "Just let me get a couple of things" Buffy goes back in her room with Clark following her.

"Buffy..." Clark begins, worrying about her safety.

"Clark I'm still a slayer." Buffy gets the scythe from under her bed.

"You keep it under your bed?"

"Of course I do." Buffy turns to face the door "Xander round up the troops and meet us in LA as soon as you can and no Dawn you're not coming"

"I didn't say anything!" Dawn protests.

"You were going to. Xander put a guard on her if you have to, she's staying here"

"You're the boss" Xander salutes and all 3 wander off.

"Right come on Clark, lets motor" Buffy gestures to him to pick her up.

Clark picks her up "You'll have to hang on. I'll go as fast as I can without hurting you"

Buffy puts her arms around Clark and they fly out the window.

* * *

Willow, Xander and Dawn are walking to the command centre.

"I'm not staying here by the way" Dawn points out.

"I know but it makes Buffy feel better that she at least tried to keep you out of danger" Willow tells her.

Xander is walking along with a look of glee "Finally get to use the apocalypse alarm"

"The what?" Dawn and Willow ask.

"You'll see" Xander smirks

"This is going to be bad" Dawn says to Willow recognising that look on Xander's face.

"You have no idea" Willow says to Dawn. Goddess only knows what Xander has set up.

The girls watching the monitors of slayer activity, salute Xander as he enters. "At ease. Ok the apocalypse in approaching, you know what to do"

One of the girls nods and hits a control. A very loud alarm goes off.

"Xander, is this necessary?" Willow shouts while covering up her ears.

"Sorry what Will?" Xander shouts back.

"Never mind" Willow grumbles.


	11. Part 2 Chapter 2

Meanwhile in LA, Angel, Spike, Gunn and Illyria stand in the alley. Angel steps forward "I kinda want to slay the dragon"

As he says it two beams hit the dragon slicing its head off.

"What the hell?" Spike asks.

"Not hell, an angel from heaven" a voice from above says.

All look up. They are stunned to see Buffy floating down in the arms of a man in red and blue with a cape. They land and Clark puts Buffy down. She sees them staring open mouthed "Ok stop staring. You know big bad army of demons are coming"

"Buffy?" Angel asks barely believing his eyes.

"Yes Buffy. You ok Angel?" she asks of him.

"What are you doing here?" Angel asks.

"Lets see now. Shopping? Nope. Vacation? Nope, had one last month. End of the world. Yep that's it. So what did you do this time?"

"I didn't do anything apart from kill the Circle of the Black Thorn and tick off the Senior Partners"

Buffy shakes her head at his utter stupidity. "You angered 3 of the most powerful demons in existence. Are you insane?"

"No I was trying to save the world"

Buffy watches as the demon army slowly approaches "Good job" she says with unrestrained sarcasm.

"What is this creature that brings you here?" Illyria looks at Clark. In her long life she had never seen a being like him. Her eyes which see beyond human or demon or vampire eyes pick up the aura which surrounds him. It is strangely reminiscent of the sun.

"Hey don't you refer to my fiancé as a creature" Buffy tells the strange blue haired girl, well demon really. Her slayer senses picked that up.

"Fiancé!?" Spike finally speaks.

Buffy turns to Spike. She had been so hoping to avoid this meeting ever since she heard he was back. "Yes Spike. Problem with that?"

"He's not human. I can smell it" Spike protests.

"Neither are you" Clark says. "The lack of a heartbeat gives it away". Of course Clark isn't even going to mention the fact this Spike bears an uncanny resemblance to the Brain Interactive Construct.

Gunn still bleeding to death had heard all the stories about Buffy. He thought she would be taller. "I hate to break up this reunion but evil army approaching"

At that moment a demon has snuck up behind Clark and hits him with its weapon which shatters. Clark turns round narrows his eyes and blasts it with his heat vision.

Buffy looks at the now charred corpse "Now that was just rude, sneaking up on us like that"

The other 4 are staring in disbelief. Illyria speaks up "You possess the powers of a god"

"Yeah in the bedroom. Oh I think I just channelled Anya" Buffy says.

Clark can't help but blush. He shakes it off and turns to Gunn "You're hurt"

"Doesn't mean I can't fight" Gunn replies.

Clark walks up to him "Hold still". Gunn nods and Clark lifts his shirt and uses his heat vision to seal his wounds.

"Thanks" Gunn says in some pain. "Now lets go kill some demons"

Angel watching this in some disbelief. Where does Buffy find guys like this? Even Illyria thinks he's something like a god and that's saying something. "You know I wanted to slay that dragon"

"Sorry" Clark says. The army is getting closer. He lets off several blasts of heat vision that mows the front line down. The demons keep coming.

Buffy assess the situation "Ok Clark the 20 foot one at the back is yours"

Clark raises an eyebrow "Oh thanks a lot"

"Oh please you can crush coal into diamonds with your bare hands, a couple ton demon shouldn't be a problem"

"It weighs a little more than that Buffy" Clark remarks.

"Wait? He can do what now?" Spike asks.

"Crush coal into diamonds. How do he think he made my ring?" Buffy shows it off. "Now if you haven't noticed demon army approaching"

Clark walks over to Buffy and kisses her "Be careful"

"You too. Avoid anything magical or I'll have to hurt you" she warns Clark.

Clark smiles and flies right into the 20 foot demon knocking it on its back.

"Right then shall we?" Buffy asks the others.

"What manner of being are you?" Illyria asks. She can sense the small portion of demon power in the girl.

"I'm a slayer, look it up. Now back to business"

"After you" Angel indicates and then they all charge at the army. Clark is concentrating on the biggest demons. Thankfully their size makes them slow and stupid apparently. Down below him the others are battling away at the hoards of demons. Illyria is easily killing them. Most are weak and insignificant compared to her. Gunn who is no longer bleeding to death is holding his own. Angel and Spike are also making an inroad to the army.

"So are you going to tell us what your boyfriend is?" Spike asks Buffy between killing demon minions.

"None of your business and he's my fiancé for the record"

"I still love you, you know"

"Get over it Spike, I moved on. You had a whole year to come find me, instead I discover you're working for Wolfram and Hart along with Angel"

"We looked for you in Rome" Angel shouts out as he avoids an axe swinging at his head.

"I know. That wasn't me, it was one of my decoys"

"So you were never dating the immortal?" Spike asks.

"No but believe you me I gave Jenny a piece of mind for that. I can't believe she dated him and started that rumour. I'm a one man women and he's that man" Buffy points at Clark as he decimates another huge demon.

A demon catches Buffy from behind knocking her down. Before it can strike her though it goes up in flames and Clark appears and helps Buffy up. "Thanks"

"I said to be careful" Clark reminds her.

"It caught me off guard"

Another demon tries to attack Buffy with a sword. Clark blocks with his arm but the sword cuts his skin. Obviously forged with magic. In anger at the pain Clark grabs the demon and throws it clean through the air and it sails out of sight. "I'm starting to get annoyed. I just had this suit made"

"I know the feeling. Look at this shirt, it's brand new as well" Buffy pokes her finger through a hole in her shirt. She then moves onto his arm. She has never seen Clark bleed before "Will you be alright?"

"I'll be fine". The wound closes up in front of Buffy's eyes. "See all better now"

Buffy fingers the now smooth skin exposed by the cut in Clark's suit.

Spike slays another demon "I hate to break up all the bonding but still several thousand demons to go"

Clark tilts his head at Spike in annoyance and in a blink of an eye is off. Spike finds himself having to dodge several demons that are suddenly flying in his direction.

"You shouldn't annoy him. You should have seen what he did to Caleb" Buffy tells Spike before she is back to fighting.

"I thought you killed him?" Spike asks.

"I did but when does that ever stop people in our world. After all I saw you die" Buffy kills another demon by slicing its head off.

Spike had to admit she had him there. "So what did he do to Caleb?" he asks as a demon slices his coat. "Oy I love this coat" Spike runs it through with his sword.

"Apart from beating the crap out of him in like a minute, nothing much". Suddenly the ground shakes. "About time!" Buffy exclaims.

Angel who has ended up near Buffy "About time for what?"

"Reinforcements" Buffy states.

Above the din of battle Angel can hear Xander's voice "All right ladies take them down"

Angel then catches a glimpse as several dozen slayers start to attack the demon army. They soon fight their way towards them.

"Hey deadboy" Xander greets Angel. "How's it going?" Xander stabs a demon attacking Angel through the back.

Angel notices the eye patch. Yeah he had heard about that.

"Ladies form a perimeter" Xander instructs and the slayers go to work in creating a ring round himself, Angel, Spike and Buffy.

With a chance for a breather Angel remembers Gunn and Illyria. He had lost sight of them in the chaos. "Spike you seen Gunn or Illyria?"

"Fraid not."

"Buffy?"

She shakes her head as she regains her breath. "Don't worry though he'll find them. Clark!"

Clark appears next to her suddenly His suit has demon goo on it "This stuff stinks"

"I know. God I can't tell you how many outfits demon goo has ruined"

"Buffy!" Angel reminds her.

"Oh right. We've lost track of the other 2. You know Gunn the bald guy and that blue haired demon lady". Buffy turns to Angel "I'm assuming she's on your side"

"For the moment" Angel replies.

Clark nods "On it" and he flies off upward.

Buffy watches him go "That is never going to get old"

"Niblet?" Buffy hears Spike says. She turns round to find Dawn and Willow approaching "Dawn I told you to stay home"

"Yeah you've said that before. Besides I'm not actually doing any fighting. See standing right here. Oh hey Spike, hey Angel"

Xander comes back from the front line "They're retreating and by the way did you know Clark had killed like 500 of them already"

"Yep that's my Clark. The big softy"

"What do you mean softy?" Angel asks.

"He was taking it easy. Trust me he can move a hell of lot faster than that when he wants to"

"Why didn't he?" Spike asks Buffy.

"What and ruin my fun"

"Fun? You call facing a demon army of thousands fun" Spike can barely believe this.

"Yes I do. Trust me it beats training new slayers and setting up new cells which is all I have been doing for the last year"

Clark reappears with Gunn and Illyria.

"You alright blue?" Spike asks.

"They were pathetic warriors. It was most unsatisfying"

"Right. How about you Charlie boy?"

Gunn catches his breath "Yeah thanks to Illyria. She saved me"

"He was Wesley's friend" Illyria states.

"Where is Wes?" Willow asks.

"He's dead" Illyria answers.

"Oh my bad" Willow says apologetically.

"So what do we do now?" Spike asks.

"Don't know. I never actually expected to survive" Angel tells him.

"You know this is just typical for one of your plans" Spike complains

"My plans! I'm not the one who spent 150 years picking totally unnecessary fights"

"Hey I was just having some fun. You should try it some time"

"All right enough" Buffy cuts in. "God you're worse than children"

"Spike is not a child. Spike is my pet" Illyria states.

Xander smirks "Pet? Care to explain that Spike?"

"No!"

Illyria turns to Dawn and studies her "You are the Key"

Fear grips Dawn's face. Buffy narrows her eyes at Illyria "What do you know of the Key?"

"I created it." Illyria states.

"Who are you?" Buffy demands to know.

"I am Illyria the God-King, the shaper of things. I ruled the world when you were nothing but slime beneath my feet"

"Well aren't you charming" Xander remarks.

Illyria ignores him.

"You created me?" Dawn asks with trepidation.

"Yes. I see you have been remade"

"Yeah by some monks. They wanted to hide me"

Illyria tilts her head "Why?"

"A hell god was after me by the name of Glory"

"Glorificus. That insolent worm. I should have ripped her apart millennia ago"

"Why did you create me?" Dawn has always wondered about her purpose.

"I use to possess the power to travel through dimensions but my armies could not. I created the Key as the means to send my armies to wherever I desired."

"You mean I was a weapon"

"You were the means to open the doorways between worlds but you are much more than that. You keep the worlds in balance. I created you to not only transport my armies but to bring order to the chaos. Before your creation dimensions would bleed into each other. You sealed them up, separated them. With you my control over my kingdom was unquestioned and absolute"

"I thought you liked chaos" Spike says.

"I like it when I cause it. My creation of the Key allowed enough stability between the worlds for your pathetic race to evolve. You should be thankful"

"Yeah we're all real thankful" Buffy says with some sarcasm. She turns to Dawn "Dawn you ok?"

"I think so" Dawn walks up to Illyria "You and I are going to have a long talk about all this though"

"I liked it better when you were not sentient" Illyria comments.

"Get use to it because I'm not changing. Are we done here?" Dawn asks Buffy

"Yeah we're done. So Angel got a place for us to go?" Buffy asks him.

Angel is curious as to what that whole thing was about but he can ask later. "We could go back to the hotel for now. Give us a chance to think things through"

Finally Buffy thinks, a sensible idea. "All right then. Xander round them up"

Xander nods and heads off to round up the troops.

Clark moves forward and hugs Buffy "So you ok? I know how much you want to keep that Dawn is the Key a secret" When he and Buffy had first met in Smallville they had ended up sharing their stories. They had felt it important to be honest with each other. He kisses the top of her head.

"Sure. I mean Spike already knows and so do Willow and Xander" Buffy turns to Angel and Gunn "I'll explain what that was about but not here ok?"

Angel and Gunn nod. They know all about keeping secrets.

"So come on Angel lead the way" Buffy asks of him.

Angel heads off in the direction of the hotel. It still belonged to him. He couldn't sell it despite everything that happened. Of course he had a lot of things to consider now. With his signing away of the Shanshu prophecy he was stuck as a vampire. There was now that issue with Dawn being the Key, whatever that means. They still faced the problem of how to keep Illyria under control. A task made harder now that Wesley was dead. She does still seem fond of Spike. Perhaps he could use that. He would have to check up on Connor some time soon and make sure he's alright. Of course healing from his wounds first would probably be a good idea and then perhaps he would give some thought about what to do with the rest of his undead life.


	12. Part 2 Chapter 3

Later in the hotel Angel is having some blood in his old office when Buffy comes wandering in.

"Buffy is something wrong?" Angel asks

"No, no. I was just checking up on you. I mean we're still friends right"

"Really I thought I was the enemy, at least that's what I got told last time I asked for help" Angel was still angry that they didn't help him when Fred was dying.

"You were working for Wolfram and Hart, what did you expect us to think?"

"I don't know Buffy but I least expected a chance to explain why I did it"

Buffy sits herself down "So explain"

Oh he really doesn't want to go into this. He sighs "I needed something to be done, something only they had the power to grant"

"So you made a deal" Buffy assumes.

Angel nods.

"What was it?"

Angel begins to tell Buffy about Jasmine and how she arranged her arrival into the world.

"Yeah I heard the bit about her hijacking Cordelia and giving birth to herself. By the way eww"

Angel can't help a small smile at that. "There's a part no-one remembers. A part I had erased. That's what the deal was"

Buffy looks at him. "Why would you do that to your friends?"

"I needed to do it to save Connor"

"Who's Connor?"

"My son"

Buffy's eyes widen. "Your what!?"

"My son. Jasmine created him to be the father of her vessel. An impossible birth to make another one possible, hers but he is still my son"

"Who was his mother?" Buffy asks

"Darla"

"Darla! You slept with Darla!" Buffy is near horrified.

"I was going through a bad time. Don't sit there and tell me you don't understand or do I have to mention Spike"

Buffy wishes she could yell at him right now but he has her there. "Ok I understand that bit but what is this saving Connor bit?"

Angel goes on to explain Holtz kidnapping Connor and him growing up in a hell dimension. Then him being manipulated by the Jasmine possessed Cordelia and the end when he had nothing left and was willing to kill himself. "I wish there had been another way Buffy but I couldn't help him. Dealing with Wolfram and Hart was my only choice. They gave Connor new memories, a normal life. He's going to College this year" Angel says that last part with some pride.

"Yeah so is Dawn" Buffy mentions.

A moment of silence.

"He forgave me" Angel says

"Sorry?" Buffy asks rather perplexed.

"Connor he got his memories back and he forgave me for what I did. He even helped me when I was fighting Wolfram and Hart's stooge" thinking back on his fight with Hamilton.

"Oh well that's good"

"Yeah I'm going to check up on him once I've healed up a bit"

"Good. That's the right thing to do"

"I have questions" Angel points out.

"Yes I know. Dawn. It's better if I tell that Gunn guy at the same time. I think he's sleeping at the moment"

"Probably but in the meantime why don't you explain that guy who wasted a few hundred demons without breaking sweat."

Buffy glares at Angel "That guy is my fiancé and he has a name, well he has two names technically but that's neither here nor there"

"You have to tell me his name and where is he by the way?" Angel hadn't seen him since they got back to the hotel.

"His name is Clark which I'm pretty sure I mentioned and he's just nipped home for some clothes"

"Where is home?" Angel asks

"Kansas" Buffy replies.

Angel couldn't believe that. Kansas. What he hell is a being that powerful doing living in Kansas? "Run that by me again"

"Kansas. Smallville to be exact. After all that's where I met him which was going to be your next question"

"Well yes along with what is he?"

"He's a man and a living breathing one at that. So he has you beat on 2 counts"

Angel gives Buffy a you can't be serious look. "Buffy even Illyria thought he was god-like"

"And who the hell is she by the way because you know I get some serious demony vibes off her"

"She's an Old One" Angel answers.

"An Old One. You mean an ancient demon from prehistory"

Angel nods and he speaks sadly "Yeah. She infected my friend Fred. That's Fred body she possesses. Illyria's original form was destroyed millions of years ago"

Buffy notes Angels rather sad tone "You can't remove her can you"

"Fred's dead. Illyria consumed her soul. There isn't even that to save. Believe me I tried"

"What does she want?"

"I don't know. She no longer fits in the world. Her powers are so restricted by being in Fred's body that I actually think she's afraid of what would happen to her away from us. Where is she by the way?"

"I saw her and Spike leave saying they were going to get Wesley's body. She seems in grief" Buffy informs him.

"I think it's Fred's memories. Fred was in love with Wesley and Illyria is stuck with the memories. She attached herself to Wesley because of them. Without him I'm not sure how to control her"

"Can I ask what she meant by saying Spike is her pet?"

Angel laughs "I think she finds him amusing. We tested her abilities by having Spike fight her. She beat the crap out of him every time"

Buffy chuckles. "Yeah beating up Spike is fun"

Angel watches Buffy as she seems to reminisce. "So can we get back to your fiancé?"

Buffy rolls her eyes and mutters "I would like to get him back to bed"

"Buffy. Vampire hearing" Angel reminds her as he overhears her mutterings.

"I did promise to keep his secrets" Buffy states firmly.

Angel observes her "You really love him don't you"

"Oh god more than anything" A huge smile erupts on Buffy's face.

Angel can't begrudge her happiness after all he was the one who left her so she could escape his darkness. "So what were you doing in Kansas?" Angel asks.

Buffy goes on to explain her needing some time alone after the battle with the First and how by random or perhaps not so random chance she ended up in Smallville.

"You were meant to be there?"

"Possibly after all the First was there. I don't believe that was a coincidence. It doesn't like me very much"

"True but why Kansas?"

"Clark" Buffy simple states.

Angel is confused. "What about him?"

"The First tried to turn him into it's servant. A replacement for that guy you saw me kill"

"I take it, it failed"

"Yep but it was a pretty close thing"

"How close?"

Buffy shrugs "Oh you know Clark got possessed by evil, threatened to kill me and rule the world. The usual really"

"You seem to be surprisingly ok with that?"

Now where the hell dies he get off being all high and mighty Buffy thinks. "Oh like you don't have a dark side. Do I even need to go into what Angelus did?"

Angel sighs "No you don't" Of course now he's stuck with Angelus with who knows how long. Angel stares into his cup of blood.

"What's wrong?" Buffy asks as she watches Angel stare into his blood. She can always tell when he's brooding.

"I signed it away" Angel cryptically says.

"You'll have to elaborate"

"There was this prophecy that the vampire with the soul would be rewarded with new life if he stopped the Apocalypse but I signed it away. It was the only way I could get the Circle of the Black Thorn to trust me"

Buffy never knew that. She can see Angel had sort of pinned his hopes to it. "I don't mean to be obvious or to worsen your mood but as long as the senior partners of Wolfram and Hart live they'll never stop planning this apocalypse of theirs."

"You should listen to her champ. She's spot on"

Angel spins around in his chair to the source of the voice "Cordy?"

* * *

Cordelia was basically sitting around in heaven frankly bored out of her mind when she was summoned by the all knowing Powers That Be or at least they like to think they are all knowing. After the whole Jasmine debacle Cordy had serious doubts over that fact.

Cordy stands in a white void "So what is it now? Isn't my life ruined enough?" Cordy complains at having her body hijacked and her life cut short and she didn't even get to be with Angel once.

A bodiless voice "The Champion doubts his purpose"

"Again?" Cordy can't believe this. Didn't she set him straight during her last visit.

A second voice "An unforeseen entity intervened in the battle"

"Wait. What battle? You never mentioned anything about a battle"

A third voice "The champion's last stand against the forces of the Wolf, the Ram and the Hart". They then show Cordy the scene where Angel and the gang prepare to fight the army of demons.

"What!" Cordy is outraged at the scene before her. "That's not what you told me would happen when you woke me up to help him. I can't believe you had me send him to his death. What about his reward? You know a second chance at life"

The First voice speaks "Jasmine's interference altered his destiny. We corrected it the best we could"

"Bottom line is you lied to me" Cordy states with barely concealed rage.

The second voice "It was necessary. It was the only path left open"

"But why would you let him die. Isn't he your Champion?"

The third voice "He had completed his task. The Circle was broken"

Well duh she did give him the vision. Ok moving on for now "What's this entity you mentioned?"

A fourth voice speaks "Hidden from us it was by the First Evil. The source of darkness attempted to corrupt it but the entity found love and overcame the darkness. In control of its own destiny the entity is now. Beyond our control. Beyond our sight. Beyond the world of man it comes from. Sent across the stars as a last hope and now joined to the twice dead Slayer"

Buffy. Of course it would be Buffy Cordy thinks. "So what now?"

The third voice speaks again "The Champion lives. New possibilities, new futures. The forces of the Wolf, the Ram and the Hart have retreated but they shall rebuild and return. The Champion must be set back on the path that Jasmine had obscured but is now visible once more"

"Ok how?" Cordy asks.

The first voice again "His seer must return to him. He will need our guidance"

Cordy's face lights up. "I get to go back to him?"

The second voice "Yes"

Cordy's heart if it was still beating that is would be going at a million beats per second right now. She gets to go back to the man she loves.

The third voice "His selfless act will be rewarded. Hope will be restored to his heart"

"What act?" Dammit why didn't they let her see what was going on.

The powers show her the scene where Angel signs away the prophecy. "What did he do?"

The first voice again "Signed away his reward for the greater good"

"So how can you reward him now?" Cordy asks.

The second voice "It was not his to sign away. It belongs to us. His actions proved that he is the one it was destined for"

"There was doubt?" Cordy asks surprised.

The third voice "There is always doubt as long as there is free will"

"Uh huh" Cordy says less than convinced by that argument. "Can we get this show on the road?"

The quieter fourth voice as Cordy noticed it didn't speak as often "The visions you must take back"

"Sure I figured that"

"In exchange life you will give him but human he will not be"

"I'm confused. What will he be then?"

"Alive like his impossible offspring and yourself"

"Oh he'll be part demon. Gotcha. Wait I'll still be part demon?"

The first voice "Only with that power can you withstand the visions"

"Alright then I'm ready" Cordy is then encompassed by light. She hears a conversation between Angel and Buffy and finds herself in the Hyperion standing behind Angel.

* * *

Angel studies her. She's in a plain white dress but it looks like her, it smells like her, it sounds like her.

"Ok I know I'm incredibly good looking but you can stop staring now"

Yep it's definitely her. Angel jumps up and hugs her tightly "Cordy. Is it really you?" he just needed her to say it.

Cordelia wraps her arms around Angel "Yeah it's me. Hi Buffy" she says

Buffy was confused "Hi Cordelia. Aren't you dead?"

"Angel you can let go now" Cordy tells him. Angel lets go. "Yes I was but someone needs to give the great champion here a good kicking and oh yeah this as well"

Cordy grabs Angel and kisses him on the lips. An unmistakable purple light passes from him into Cordy and in exchange a white light passes into him from her.

They break apart and Angel takes a breath, a real one. Angel reaches at his chest as his heart starts to beat. "What did you do?" Angel gasps out.

Cordy with a grin on her face "Gave you your reward"

"But I signed it away"

"Pft. Like it was yours to give away. It's the Powers to give to whoever they want but don't think your champion days are over because they're not. You're still part demon like I am and Connor is. You'll need the strength because like Buffy said the Senior Partners aren't going anywhere"

Angel still didn't understand "I thought I had to stop the apocalypse"

"You did stop it, sort of. It's complicated. Angel the demons are never going to stop trying to take this world back. Wolfram and Hart will rebuild their little secret order but in the meantime we have to help the helpless like right now". Cordy grabs her head as a vision hits.

Angel watches her "You took the visions back"

"Yeah I did. Oh I see Lorne. God he looks miserable. What did you do to him?"

"I didn't do anything to him" Angel explains. Cordy not buying it for one second shoots him a withering glare despite her headache. Angel cracks under Cordy's glare. "Except have him kill Lindsay" he reluctnatly admits.

"When I regain full control of my body I'm so kicking your butt. Meanwhile he's in the ruins of Caritas" The vision ends. Cordy has a slight headache. It's different from before but her headache soon fades away.

"Is that it?" Angel asks.

"Yeah. I think the powers just want to reunite us for now"

Buffy coughs "Hello, what's going on?" she asks after watching this craziness. Cordelia reappears and then there is kissing and she really needs an explanation.

"Oh well it's kind of complicated and we're in a rush" Cordy says.

"Well I'll come with and you can explain it to me" Buffy stands up.

"What about Clark?" Angel asks.

"Who's Clark?" Cordy asks.

"My fiancé who should have been back by now". Buffy shrugs "He's probably just talking to his mother. Let's roll"

"You're engaged?" Cordy can barely believe it. Wait didn't the powers say Buffy was now joined to this entity whose destiny they can't see.

"Yes I am" Buffy answered while she wondered just how Cordy can be so cheery. She wasn't cheery when she came back from the dead.

The 3 start to head for the door. Cordy speaks to Angel "What happened to everyone after I left last time? The PTBs wouldn't let me see what was going on"

Angel looks at her "Seriously?"

"Yeah. They lied to me Angel. I didn't know I was sending you to your death when I gave you the vision. I'm sorry"

"It's not your fault. It seems to be our lot in life to be manipulated but as for what happened, you should brace yourself"

"Who died?" Cordy asks. She could tell where this was going.

"Wesley and Fred"

"How?"

"Wesley died battling the sorcerer Vail and Fred was…" Angel takes a breath, a new experience for him "Fred's body was taken over by a demon killing her in the process"

"Oh" Cordy is sad, she really liked Fred.

Angel then remembers it's only a matter of time till she sees Illyria "I should warn you that the demon, Illyria is her name, she's sort of our ally. You'll have to endure seeing her walking around in Fred's body"

"Ok. I can manage that after all I've had friends turned into vampires and I've survived that. God do I not miss Sunnydale. By the way what happened to Harmony?"

Angel snorts "You mean apart for her inevitable betrayal of me"

"Yeah, I wondered how long that would take her" Cordy says without any surprise.

"I let her live because I was kind of busy so I don't really know nor frankly do I care a great deal"

Before the 3 of them reach the door of the Hotel.

"Cordelia?" a voice form behind.

Cordy turns around "Hey Xander, Hey Willow how's it going?"

Xander and Willow were just coming to check up on Buffy and Angel when they find the 2 of them heading for the exit along with Cordelia.

"Aren't you dead?" Willow asks.

Cordy shrugs "They sent me back. Truthfully I'm glad. I was so bored. You won't believe how boring it is"

"Cordelia it is not boring" Buffy states. "I can assure you I was never bored. I was happy and content"

"Good for you but it wasn't that way for me, probably because I shouldn't have been there. My life was robbed from me but enough about my life, we have a friend to go help" Cordy then turns and walks out the door.

Buffy shakes her head "Guys keep an eye on things, we'll be back" Buffy tells Xander and Willow. She and Angel then walk off in pursuit of Cordy.

"Well that was interesting" Xander dryly comments.

"You know there was a time that would have surprised me" Willow begins "But now nothing"

"Why is Angel going with them?" Xander asks

"Why wouldn't he?"

"Because the sun rises in like an hour" Xander points out.

"Oh then I really don't know"

At this point Spike and Illyria arrive with Wesley's body.

"Where's Angel and Buffy off to?" Spike had seen them drive off. "And was that Cordelia with them?"

"Don't know and yes" Xander answers as he watches Illyria cradle Wesley's body in her arms.

"Are you alright?" Xander asks her.

"I am uncertain. I am not use to these feelings. What does one do?" Illyria tries to process the emotions she has never had before.

"Well for the dead we have a ceremony, you know a funeral" Xander tries to explain.

Illyria searches Fred's memories "Yes this shell has memories of such events"

"Right then, well since the sun will be up soon we should wait until tonight so Spike can attend" Xander suggests.

"Yes that is acceptable" Illyria states.

"We can put his body in the basement for now" Xander says.

Illyria tilts her head and looks at him.

"Ok so follow me" Xander heads off with Illyria following leaving Spike and Willow.

"She needs help" Spike states bluntly.

"I noticed. She can't handle her emotions" Willow replies.

"I don't think she should have emotions at all. It's almost like she has a soul"

"Can she have one?" Willow asks.

"I don't see how. She's a demon and Fred's soul was consumed by her resurrection"

"Yeah. I liked Fred, only met her once but she seemed nice"

"Yes she was. This shouldn't have happened to her" Spike had really liked Fred.

Willow thinks about things. "You know I just thought of something"

"What?"

"A soul can't be destroyed. All it is, is energy. If Illyria consumed it as you say then all she did was convert it into her own soul"

Spike looks at Willow. He hadn't even considered that. "She'll have no idea how to cope with that. She's never had emotions or a conscious before. Perhaps Angel can help her"

"Maybe"

Spike moves on to Dawn "Where's the niblet by the way?"

"Asleep. You and Angel woke her up with your trying to end the world. It wasn't hard to miss"

"Don't blame me it wasn't my plan. I'll admit I went along with it. Got myself a decent brawl, saved a baby"

Willow chuckles at that "You're going soft. All you have to do now is save a puppy"

"Yeah so about this guy Buffy's engaged to.."

"No" Willow states firmly.

"Yeah but…"

Willow cuts him off "No Spike. You have a problem take it up with Buffy"

"Fine I will but can you at least tell me what happened with Caleb. She mentioned he came back"

"Yeah him and the First"

"So?" Spike implores.

Willow relents "Ok fine but I wasn't there for the whole thing so all I can give you is Buffy's version of events"

"Fair enough"


	13. Part 2 Chapter 4

Author's Note: Thank you for all the reviews. A couple of you have asked where Clark is. Beyond the fact his visit home is slightly more interesting than he thought it would be I'm not saying. It will be a couple more chapters before I get to it so please be patience. In the meantime enjoy.

* * *

Travelling to Caritas Cordy is telling Angel and Buffy about her talk with the Powers and of her vision about Lorne.

"So let me get this straight Angel's alive, they sent you back to guide him and this Lorne we're going to find can read someone's future when they sing" Buffy says.

"Yep that's the gist of it. As for Lorne, he's a little lost after what Angel made him do" Cordy says the last part with an accusatory tone.

Angel who has been trying to come to terms with a couple of things. First the woman he is madly in lovewith is back and second he's alive. Not human, he can definitely sense the demon power in him but alive. Oh god he can finally be with her, really be with her. No more curses, no more Angelus, no more thirsting for blood but he is kind of hungry. His thinking means he's not listening to Cordy who hits him across the back of his head. "What?" Angel asks at the sudden pain.

"You're not listening to me when I said what a terrible thing you made Lorne do" Cordy tells him.

"Look Cordy I'm not happy either ok. It had to be done along with other things"

"What other things?"

"I may have to had to kill someone" referring to Drogan.

"You what!" Cordy near screams.

"I needed to infiltrate the Circle of the Black Thorn and before you shout again I was only acting on the vision you gave me"

Cordy is fuming. Bloody Powers.

"And don't tell me you're upset about Lindsay dying" Angel continues.

"No I'm not. Hope he's rotting in hell" Cordy says with venom.

They pull up outside Caritas and Cordy and Buffy get out while Angel doesn't move.

"Angel?" Cordy asks when she sees him sitting there.

"He told me not to bother trying to find him. I don't think he would talk to me"

Cordy reluctantly agrees. "Alright you sit here and enjoy the sun rise. It'll be up in a few minutes"

Angel nods and inwardly smiles at seeing his first sunrise in a couple of centuries. Cordy and Buffy make their way inside the club. Cordy catches her dress. "I knew I should have changed first" she says as the dress rips.

"Yeah not your best outfit ever" Buffy comments.

"You can talk" Cordy says as she notes the tears in Buffy's shirt.

"Hey I was in a rush and then had to fight a demon army not to mention I got interrupted in the middle of celebrating my engagement"

"Oh having a party were we?"

An evil smile forms on Buffy's face "Yeah just the 2 of us"

Cordy sees the smile "Buffy I really didn't need to know that"

"Sorry. No actually I'm not sorry. I'm happy for once in my life. I think I deserve happy after everything I've had to sacrifice"

Cordy says nothing as they walk further into the club. She can't really argue with Buffy. As far as Cordy is concerned everyone has the right to happiness. Now where is Lorne? "Lorne! I know you're here. It's Cordelia"

In response growls echo, followed by yellow eyes. A group of 5 vampires appear.

"Oh terrific" Cordy says sarcastically. She looks at Buffy "So do you want to tell them or shall I?"

Buffy shakes her head "Nah and ruin their surprise"

The leader of the gang of vampires steps forward. "You know you ladies look like you're in the wrong place"

Cordy rolls her eyes at the terribly clichéd attempt to intimidate them "Look we're just looking for a friend. Just tell us where he is and you can get to live another day"

The leader laughs "Well aren't you a feisty one but I'm afraid we must decline your offer"

"I thought you would say that. Oh by the way I'm Cordelia and this is my friend Buffy the Vampire Slayer"

"Hello!" Buffy cheerfully waves at them.

The smile soon disappears off the leaders face.

"You see Cordelia now you've ruined the surprise and upset them"

"And I care why?"

"Get them" the vampire leader commands.

2 vampires each attack Cordy and Buffy. Buffy pulls out a stake and dusts the first one at its first attack. It was so obvious. "Amateur" she comments as it dissolves. She dodges the second one's attack. "I wish I hadn't left my scythe at the hotel"

"Uh huh" Cordy comments. "At least you have the luxury of pockets even though I thought you would have grown out of those pants by now" Cordy knocks the first vampire attacking her on its back.

Buffy dusts the second one "Hey. I like these pants, of course Clark prefers me out of them but who could blame him after all"

Cordy dodges the second vampires attack on her "Yeah, yeah you're getting some. Enough already. Can I borrow that?" Cordy points at the stake in Buffy's hand.

"Sure" Buffy throws it to her.

Cordy catches it and in one swift motion spins and stakes the second vampire who turns to dust. The first one has flipped back up and runs towards Cordy but Cordy just swings her arm to the side and dusts it. She tosses Buffy her stake back "Sorry that took so long. I'm a bit rusty being dead and all"

Buffy catches it "No problem". Buffy had to admit Cordy was pretty good. In fact she was almost slayer like. Nah she couldn't be could she? Cordelia Chase couldn't be a slayer. Could she? She would have to ask Willow about that.

The leader is still standing there.

"Oh you're still here" Cordy says when she notices him. "Good now about our friend.."

Cordy doesn't get to finish as the leader runs off towards the exit. "You know the sun is about to rise" she shouts. The leader doesn't stop. "Angel!" she shouts loudly. As soon as the leader reaches the door he dissolves to dust revealing Angel holding a stake where the vampire's heart was.

"Thank you" she says sweetly.

"Have you found Lorne yet?" Angel shouts back at her.

"No. Vampires sort of slowed us down but we're working on it" Cordy starts making her way up the stairs to the apartment at the back. "Lorne! Answer me!"

"Go away" a mumbled voice answers.

Cordy with Buffy following enter the apartment to find Lorne sitting in a corner. Cordy goes and kneels down in front of him. "Lorne. It's me Cordelia"

Lorne looks up "Princess?"

Cordy smiles "Hi"

"Are you really here?" Lorne asks.

"Yes I am. I mean I'll sing if you want me to"

"Don't bother. I'm too depressed to read anyone at the moment"

Cordy sits next to him and puts an arm around his shoulders. "I know what Angel made you do. He shouldn't have asked you"

"No princess he should have. I shouldn't have agreed but I did but enough about me what are you doing back?"

"Oh the usual, cleaning up the Power's mess. It's kind of complicated but something happened and bottom line is that they needed their Seer back on Earth so here I am. I think it's me anyway. Truthfully I'm not sure. One moment I'm in heaven the next I'm in the hotel. I don't even know if this is my original body or if that's.."

Cordy pauses for a moment "In fact what did you do with my body?"

"We buried it in the hotel garden. Angel thought, hoped that's where you would like to be"

Cordy smiles. He was damn right. God she's tempted to kiss him right now along with other things. Wait they can do those other things now. Why the hell has it taken her so long to remember that? Oh she can get to that later. Lorne needs help first. "I should probably tell you Wesley died"

Lorne nods sadly. He had thought some of them would die. "Anyone else?"

"No actually. Not sure what happened, haven't got the whole story yet"

Buffy coughs "I could help I was there"

"Oh right I should introduce you. Buffy this is Lorne. Lorne this is Buffy"

Lorne looks at the girl. Even with his empathic abilities dampened he can fell the love pouring off of her. "So this is _the_ Buffy?"

Cordy nods.

"Wait I'm _the_ Buffy?" Buffy asks.

"You sure are" Lorne answers. "You should see the reading I got off of Angel whenever he thought of you not to mention the stories Cordelia told"

"Cordelia told stories?" Buffy asks totally surprised after all Cordy and her didn't always get on.

Cordy mutters something.

Lorne nods "Yeah we heard all the stories"

Buffy looks at Cordy. "I didn't know you cared Cordelia"

"Well yeah, look just because we didn't always get on didn't mean I didn't respect what you had to do or that I knew that being the slayer was a burden"

Buffy smiles "Thank you Cordelia and by the way it's only a slayer these days. There's a lot of us now". Possibly including you Buffy mentally adds.

"Yeah I know I saw. It was only Angel's life the Powers wouldn't let me see" And the fact they expected Angel to die now explains why Cordy thinks to herself.

Buffy realises they're off topic "Anyway I should get back to telling you what happened. Well I was in Scotland having some reunion time with my fiancé.."

Cordy rolls her eyes "Buffy we don't need to hear about your sex life"

Buffy ignoring her "We were interrupted by detecting portals opening. So Clark, that's my fiancé, and I flew over to find Angel, Spike, Gunn and Illyria in an alley facing down a demon army of thousands. Angel got upset because Clark slayed the dragon instead of him. I mean honestly a dragon would burn him to a crisp so frankly Clark did him a favour"

"Buffy you're getting off topic" Cordy tells her.

"Right so anyway Clark and I helped with the fighting until Willow could transport the girls over. They arrived, kicked butt and the demons ran away. End of story"

Lorne listened and concluded that Spike, Illyria and Gunn succeeded in their missions. He could plainly feel the love Buffy had for her fiancé whenever she said his name. Love is always such a nice feeling. Of course he gets the same off Cordy whenever she speaks of Angel but that isn't new. "So what now?" Lorne asks. "What do the Powers want done?"

"Well not entirely sure but the Senior Partners are still alive so the war isn't over. I guess they want us to get back to doing what we do best"

"What's that?" Lorne asks.

"We help the helpless starting with you" Cordy says sternly to his face.

"You have your work cut out princess" Lorne warns

"Like that's anything new. So want to come back to the hotel. We have beds and an entire army of slayers to keep the vampires out. By the way did you know there were vampires living here?"

Lorne nods "Yes I did"

At that moment the door to the apartment opens and Cordy and Buffy turn to see who it is and say together "Harmony!"

Harmony squeals and runs over to Cordy who stands up to be greeted by a hug "Oh Cordy! You're back. I thought you were dead"

Cordy trying not to be offensive but Harmony has a strong grip on her. Oh never mind being polite "Harmony get off of me!"

Harmony lets go puzzled "What?"

"Do I have to mention you're betrayal of Angel?"

"Well no but what do you expect I'm evil but in my defence before you stake me I have been looking after Lorne"

Cordy looks at him.

"She has" he confirms. He had bumped into her after killing Lindsey and for some reason Lorne can't figure out she insisted on making sure he was safe.

"Doesn't change anything" Buffy comments.

Harmony who hadn't noticed Buffy is about to turn and give this girl a piece of her mind when she sees who it is and thinks better of it "Oh hi Buffy. Didn't know you were in town"

Buffy raises an eyebrow "Yeah Hi Harmony". She turns to Cordy "Please say I can stake her"

Harmony wide eyed "No, no. Wait please I'm not evil evil. I just have no soul"

Buffy snorts "Harmony you weren't exactly humanitarian of the year when you had one"

"Hey that's not true. Tell her Cordy"

Cordy wishes she was somewhere else right now. "Well Harmony…" she begins

"I don't believe this. Cordy you were my best friend in high school"

"I know Harmony but unlike you I don't think of those days as my best years. I grew up and you lost your soul"

"Soul, soul. It's all about that stupid soul. Big deal. Spike's still a jerk even with one and all Angel did was brood because he felt guilt for all the evil he supposedly did. I don't understand the fuss"

"No of course you don't because you have no soul!" Buffy shouts irritated. "Please let me stake her" she asks Cordy again.

"You know what if it's such a big deal why don't you restore mine" Harmony says without really realising it. Why do they treat her like she's an idiot?

"Harmony you can't be serious" Cordy says surprised at her outburst.

"I am serious. Angel has one. Spike has one. Why can't I have one?"

"Angel was cursed with one and Spike.." Buffy trails off. "In fact not sure how Spike did it. Some powerful demon he heard about in Africa. He had to endure some trials. I seriously doubt you could survive them"

"Well curse me then" Harmony says.

"Harmony you can't want to be cursed. It won't work if you want it, that's the point, it's a curse" Buffy tries to explain even though she seriously doubts Harmony will get it.

"Fine I'll ask Spike then" Harmony then proceeds to start leaving.

"Harmony!" Cordy shouts.

Harmony stops and turns "What?"

"The sun is up" Cordy points to a shaft of sunlight coming through the boarded up window.

"Oh."

Buffy just shakes her head at Harmony's stupidity. "Can we go now if I'm not getting to stake her"

"Yes" Cordy says. "Lorne are you coming?"

Lorne gets to his feet. "I'll come but don't expect to see the happy me for a while"

"Great. Oh I should mention Angel's in the car. Will you be ok with that?"

Lorne looks at Cordy. "But the sun?"

"What? Oh yeah. He's not a vampire anymore."

"What!?" Harmony shouts outraged. "How did he manage that?"

Cordy puts on a smile "Gave him one of my special kisses"

Harmony looks at her for a second then zips forward and kisses Cordy on the lips. Cordy shoves her off, throwing her across the room. Even Cordy is somewhat surprised at the power she managed. Oh well she is part demon. "Harmony what are you doing?" she demands.

Harmony gets back to her feet "You said you gave Angel a kiss"

Cordy rolls her eyes "It was a gift from the powers you idiot. A reward for their champion"

"Hey I am not an idiot"

"We're leaving" Cordy says and she, Buffy and Lorne begin to leave.

"You wouldn't need a secretary by any chance would you?" Harmony says in a sad voice.

Cordy knows she is going to regret this but she can't just leave her here. "Ok Harmony you can come but there will no evil and no feeding on humans. Got it?"

"You bet. No feeding on humans."

"Oh and you'll have to go in the trunk" Cordy adds.

* * *

Lorne and Cordy walk back into the hotel to find Spike sitting on the couch having some blood. He gets up to greet them "Hey Lorne you're back"

Lorne says nothing.

"Yeah he's not up to talking at the minute" Cody informs him.

"I see you're back as well" Spike says

"Oh yeah and look at this dress, already ruined. I really need to go shopping"

"I was kind of hoping for why and how you're back" Spike says really wanting an explanation.

"Ask the Powers because I don't really know beyond the fact that the struggle against the Senior Partners isn't over and they needed a Seer"

"Angel coming back through the sewers is he?"

"Err not exactly" Cordy begins as Angel and Buffy walk in the door from the sunlight.

"No bleedin way!" Spike shouts. "Do not tell me the powers made you a real boy again"

"Not exactly" Cordy begins "He's alive in the breathing, heart beating sense but he's still part demon. The powers said he would need the strength"

Spike looks him over. "Well he smells human"

"I'm not" Angel replies "I can still sense the demon in me but it's not as strong as it was. By the way where are the blankets?"

Spike blinks. "What?"

"Never mind" Angel says as he heads off to find a blanket.

Spike looks at Buffy "Blankets?"

"You'll see but you won't want to believe me" Bufy replies.

"Well I'll take Lorne to a room" Cordy says as she leads Lorne upstairs.

"Right, oh tell Xander he's staying here or one of the girls might try to slay him" Buffy tells her.

"Will do" Cordy replies.

"I don't bloody believe this. I fight two end of the world battles and he's the one that gets made real again" Spike complains.

"The difference there is Spike your reason for getting your soul back was completely selfish. It was not in the name of some greater cause" Buffy tells him

"It was. You"

"Spike we are not having this talk. I told you I moved on, I suggest you do the same. In fact is Clark back yet?"

"Who?"

"My fiancé and don't say you don't know his name because I know you. You've probably been harassing Willow and Xander to tell you all about him"

"Well yeah but beyond there was a confrontation with the First they won't say anything"

"Good because it's none of your business. Not anymore and please tell me you haven't be bothering Dawn as well"

"No I left the niblet to sleep"

"Good. Thank you" Buffy says in a softer tone. She takes a breath "Look Spike I did, I do care about you but I can't go back to that place. It was dark, you are dark but Clark lives in the daylight. That's where I need to be. It's where I want to be"

Spike listens to her "He's like you isn't he?" he asks

"In what sense?" Buffy asks.

"Being alone, different." Spike had observed.

"I have the girls. He has no-one but I suppose the short answer is yes. I understand his pain and the burden he carries. Also he's been dead so we have lots in common"

"Ahh good to know, he's not immortal"

"Actually he might be, I don't really know. In any case with the healing factor he possesses I suspect he'll out live me by a long way but until then I intend to spend every second I can with him". Buffy had worked those facts out herself. Clark almost certainly had a long life ahead of him and Buffy suspected that Clark knew that too but didn't want to think about it. Well that's ok she can let him have that. Anyway not wanting to dwell Buffy moves the subject along "What will you do now?" she asks Spike.

Spike shakes his head "Not a bloody clue"

"Ok but promise me you won't do one thing"

"What's that?"

"Wait for me. Our lives are along different paths now so don't waste yours waiting for me"

Spike smirks "When did you get so wise?"

Buffy flicks her blond hair back "Not all blonds are dumb you know"

"Never thought you were" Spike admits honestly.

Buffy smiles at that and then yawns "Well if Clark isn't back I think I'll go set some sleep because I don't get any when he's around" Buffy wiggles her eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh I really don't need to hear that you know. Now you're just being cruel"

Buffy smirks and heads off to find a bed. As she does so Angel rushes by with a blanket. Spike watches him go with some confusion. Now what is that about? He shrugs. He'll find out soon. He goes back to his cup of blood and sits down. He still can't believe the powers made Angel alive again. His life sucks. He hears Angel come back in with someone else. He really isn't looking or caring at the minute.

"Blondie Bear!"

Spike's head shoots up to the door to find a slightly smoky Harmony standing next to Angel "Bloody hell!" he then waves his hand dismissively "Don't tell me. I don't want to know"

Harmony frowns at him "Well that is nice. I risk my life in the daytime and I don't even get a hello"

Angel chuckles "Spike be nice. In fact Harmony has some questions for you"

Spike worries slightly "About what?"

"Apparently she wants her soul back"

"I do want my soul back. Then I'll show all of you just how useful I can be" Harmony says childishly.

"Harmony you can't be serious. You have no idea what that entails" Spike tells her. She really can't be serious.

"I am serious" She goes and sits next to Spike and steals his cup of blood.

"Hey that's mine" he complains.

"Who's the one smoking here?" she says as she takes a drink. "So come on lets hear it. How do I get my soul back?"

Angel leaves the two of them on the couch while he inwardly laughs. Knowing Harmony he assumes she'll be off this by tomorrow. She really doesn't know what having her soul back means. He does. He has it now permanently. Before he could always feel it straining to break free from the curse that held it but now nothing. It's just there now. He feels so different. No blood lust, no Angelus constantly whispering in the back of his mind. Sure he can sense the demon in him but it's so much more distance than it use to be. He isn't really sure if he's weaker than before. He'll have to spar with someone and find out what his new limits are. His stomach rumbles. All right he needs to find some food. He wanders to the kitchen to find it overrun with slayers. He shakes his head and the fact he forgot just how much slayers eat.

"I know tell me about it"

Angel turns to find Buffy who had suddenly realised she needed food more than sleep.

"Sorry it's just I had forgotten how much slayers eat" Angel says.

"Yeah you should see our food bill. It's unbelievable. Some advice use whatever demon strength you have and take what you can." Buffy turns to the slayers in the kitchen "Hey have you seen Xander or Willow?"

One of them shouts back "They took Rose and Michelle and went shopping for more food"

"See grab what you can , when you can" Buffy says.

"Hey hands off. The waffles are mine" a voice suddenly permeates the din.

Angel looks at Buffy and Buffy looks at Angel and they say together "Cordelia?". They peer through the hoard and spot Cordy battling for the waffles. Ok this is reinforcing Buffy's view that Cordy might be a slayer. "Angel can I have a word in private?"

"Sure we can use my office" they leave past Spike who is still trying to convince Harmony she would never survive the trials needed to restore her soul and enter Angel's office where he shuts the door.

* * *

Meanwhile Michelle and Rose are travelling back with Xander and Willow. "So who was the incredibly hot guy in the red and blue skin tight suit?" Rose asks.

Xander and Willow both roll their eyes. "Buffy's fiancé" Willow answers.

"Wait he's the alien she slept with. I knew she had a thing for weird guys and now I can totally understand it" Michelle comments after seeing him.

"Yeah me too" Rose adds. "I mean did you see the muscles on him and from Buffy's screams earlier he obviously knows exactly what he's doing in bed"

Michelle looks at Rose "What screams?"

"Oh you were asleep but believe me there were screams. Buffy isn't exactly quiet and sound carries through stone"

"You know I really didn't want to know that. It was bad enough when I walked in on them in bed" Xander comments.

Both Michelle and Rose's eyes light up. "Tell me you took pictures" Michelle virtually demands.

"No I did not and I would rather not think about it thank you. I've barely got the image of finding the 2 of them naked on the couch out of my mind"

"Oh come on we miss all the good bits" Rose complains

"By the way how do you know he was an alien?" Xander asks.

"Satsu" Michelle answers.

"How does she know?" Xander asks

Both Michelle and Rose grin evilly "Willow talks in her sleep"

Xander looks at Willow who is avoiding eye contact. "Willow?" Xander queries.

"It was only once" Willow states

Rose and Michelle cough

"Ok twice" Willow admits.

Xander shakes his head "I assume everyone knows what happened in Smallville then"

"Pretty much" Rose replies. "Did his mother really find Buffy's underwear in her bed?" she asks.

"I am not answering that" Xander tells them as he tries to banish all these images from his mind.

"That would be a yes then" Michelle says. "Ok moving on we heard rumours…"

"Ok girls I think that's enough" Willow decides. "Anymore embarrassment and Xander might faint and he is the one who is driving"

Michelle and Rose groan. They never get to hear about the good stuff.

* * *

Back in Angel's office "So what is it?" he asks Buffy about why she wants to talk to him.

"Do you have any idea what kind of demon is actually in Cordelia?"

"Not really no. I'm not even sure what demon is in me. If it's something new or perhaps a weaker version of the vampire demon. Why?"

"It's just when we went to find Lorne and we were fighting those vampires I could swear I was looking at another slayer when Cordelia was fighting"

Angel sat down on his desk. Cordy a slayer? Is that possible?

"Something else, she said she didn't know if she was in her original body or if the powers gave her a new one. I know there's only one way to know for certain and I'm not suggesting you do that but I thought you should know"

"Yeah thanks" Did Angel want to know? Did he really want to dig up her grave? "By the way how's Faith?" he asks curious as to how she is.

"Oh she's fine. She's in Cleveland with Giles guarding its Hellmouth"

"We're back!" Xander shouts from the lobby.

"Right come on" Buffy says as she opens the door "Grab what you can". She then leaves at near running pace.

Angel hops off his desk and follows. He'll definitely have to have a long talk with Cordy.


	14. Part 2 Chapter 5

Author's Note: Thank you for all the reviews. Here's my latest update.

* * *

Once in the lobby Angel sees Dawn bounding down the stairs and stop when she sees Harmony arguing with Spike on the couch "What is she doing here?" Dawn points at Harmony. She can well remember Harmony kidnapping her.

"Blame Cordelia" Buffy tells her sister. "It was her idea."

"I thought Cordelia was dead" Dawn says.

"She was sent back by the Powers" Angel tells her.

"Ok then. Anything else I should know?" Dawn asks

"Well..." Angel begins "I'm no longer a vampire"

Dawn looks at him "Seriously?"

"Yeah got a pulse if you want to check" Angel holds out his left arm.

"Whoa, whoa. Back up there" Xander says. "What do you mean you're not a vampire?"

By this time Dawn has walked over and is checking Angel's pulse. "You have a pulse"

Cordy walks by munching on a waffle. Angel can't help thinking how beautiful she looks despite her slightly torn dress.

"And your pulse just doubled" Dawn comments.

Willow has noticed what Angel was looking at when Dawn said that "Oh you've got it bad"

Angel looks at Willow and blushes. She smirks at him.

"What did I miss?" Gunn says as he walks down the stairs.

"Oh hey Gunn" Cordy says absent mindlessly as she eats her waffles.

"Cordy!" Gunn can barely believe his eyes. Is he still dreaming? Saying that he's surprised he's alive at all.

Cordy looks up at Gunn's raised voice "What?"

"You're alive and you look…" Cordy cuts him off.

"I know awful. I really need to go shopping"

"Actually Cordy I saved your clothes. They're in boxes in your old room" Angel tells her.

Cordy runs over and kisses him. "I love you"

"Yeah I..." but before Angel can finish "I've got to get changed" Cordy says as she rushes off up the stairs.

Angel sighs.

Spike and Harmony are still arguing. "What do you mean I'm useless at fighting!?" Harmony yells at Spike.

"I mean the trials involve fighting a lot and considering I barely survived them you have no chance. I doubt you could even take Harris there"

"I so could take Xander!"

"Hey leave me out of it" Xander says. "You want to beat on someone challenge Spike"

"What?" Spike asks perplexed.

"Well if she can take you then she can survive these trials whatever they are"

A smile forms on Harmony's face "You know what that's a great idea"

"No, no it isn't" Spike says. He's not sparring with her.

"Oh come on Spike. Afraid I'll beat you" Harmony teases

"No it's just this isn't a good time. You know Wesley just died and I'm trying to figure out my life"

"Wesley died?" Harmony says with some sadness. She kind of liked him.

"Yes Harmony, Wesley died and once the sun has set tonight we're going to bury him" Spike tells her.

"Oh ok then. I'll fight you afterwards"

Spike rolls his eyes. Fine he'll beat the crap out of her and she'll get off this idea. "Ok Harm but after the funeral"

Harmony smiles "You're the best!". Yeah she'll show him. She's not useless. She'll get her soul back and prove just how useful she can be.

By now Gunn has walked over to Angel. "Ok so how come Cordy's back and what is up with those two?" he say referring to Spike and Harmony.

"Harmony has this notion that by getting her soul back that she'll prove how useful she can be and we won't stake her"

"Uh huh. Right" Gunn says totally unconvinced. "And Cordy?"

"Oh she just showed up in the office, said the Powers that Be sent her back and made me alive"

"Sorry run that last part by me again"

"I'm alive. I'm no longer a vampire. I even saw the sun rise today"

Ok new information. He goes to sleep for a few hours and everything goes nuts. Now moving onto the other member of the team. "Where's Illyria?"

"In the basement" Spike says from the couch. "She refuses to leave Wesley's body. Oh by the way you may want to help her" he says to Angel.

"Help her with what?" Angel asks.

"Red has this theory that when she took Fred's body she absorbed her soul and that's why she's so nuts"

Angel looks at Willow.

"As I told Spike you can't destroy a soul. So either Fred's soul moved on or Illyria possesses it" Willow explains.

Angel had never considered that but it would explain her behaviour and her attachment to Wesley. He nearly went insane when his soul was first returned. Well this is going to be a barrel of laughs. An Old One with a soul. "I'll check on her after breakfast. I haven't eaten yet"

At that moment about a dozen slayers enter and see the food Xander, Willow and the other 2 slayers have.

"Oh great" Buffy groans. "Gunn like I said to Angel grab what you can." Buffy then tears into the bags.

Angel and Gunn look at each other and shrug and are soon looking into the bags along with Dawn who is well use to this routine just as the slayers charge forward.

* * *

Gunn is finishing his breakfast in Angel's office "You know that should be an Olympic sport. Wrestling slayers for food"

Angel who is also sitting there chuckles "Yeah. I should have warned you. Slayers have an accelerated metabolism. You won't believe how much Buffy use to eat"

"So how are you with the being alive thing?" Gunn asks him.

"I'm coping. I'm not sure exactly what I am. Cordy said I was still part demon"

Gunn nods. "What about Cordy, is she still part demon?"

"So she says but Buffy noticed something I'll have to talk to her about."

"What?"

"Cordy was fighting some vampires and Buffy said she moved like a slayer."

"Aren't slayers part demon?"

"Yeah I suppose. They have a little demon power in them."

"What are you going to do with Illyria if she really has a soul?"

"I have no idea. It's one thing for a vampire. I was only about 150 when I was cursed but she's millions of years old. If worse comes to the worse we still may have to destroy her."

Gunn thought it would be something like that. "Where is Cordy?"

"Are you kidding I only told her, her clothes were here like an hour ago."

Gunn laughs. "Yeah you're right. She'll be another hour at least."

Buffy walk in with Dawn and shuts the door "I guess I should tell you about the key thing while we're all alone."

"Sure" Angel says.

"Ok bottom line. You know all those memories you have of Dawn" she speaks to Angel.

"Yes" Angel replies not sure where's she's going.

"They're not real. You never met Dawn. You see it goes like this..." Buffy explains about Glory and how the monks transformed the Key into Dawn and altered everyone's memories in order to hide her.

Angel listened trying to square his memories of Dawn with the fact she was actually never there.

"But as far as I'm concerned she is my sister and if you have a problem with that I will kick your ass. Got it!"

"Yes we got it Buffy and we'll keep it secret" Angel says.

"Yeah definitely. Secret's safe. Never leaves my lips." Gunn says.

"Good and thank you."

There's a knock on the door. It's Harmony. "I don't mean to intrude but someone's here to see you boss."

Angel wasn't sure about the boss bit. Harmony really couldn't be trusted. Oh well for Cordy he'll tolerate her. "Who?"

At that moment Connor walks in.

"Connor! What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see if you were alright" he answers.

Dawn is now staring at the incredibly cute boy. "Hi I'm Dawn."

Connor stares back at the incredibly cute girl "Hi I'm Connor it's nice to meet you."

Buffy can't help but notice Dawn is swooning over Angel's son. Oh boy. "Come on Dawn we'll leave them alone." Buffy drags Dawn off.

"Gunn could you?" Angel asks implying he wants to be alone.

"Sure." Gunn stands up and leaves.

"So who was that girl?" Connor asks as he sits down.

Oh boy. This was trouble. Buffy would skin him alive if anything happens to Dawn. "It's complicated. She's the sister of an old girlfriend."

"How old?" Connor asks. It could be centuries for all he knows.

"Not that old Connor. She's only in her twenties."

"Ok then. So what's with all the girls?" Connor had noticed them as he walked in.

"They're slayers. They came to the rescue so to speak".

"Yeah I think I have a memory about slayers." Connor notices Angel's breakfast. "You eat?"

"I do now. I'm no longer a vampire. The powers decided to reward me for suicidally taking on a demon army. Why? I don't know."

"Well that's good. Hey does that mean you can go out in the sun now?"

Angel smiles "Yeah it does."

"So what are you going to do now?"

"Oh back to what I did before. I'm going to help the helpless. How are your parents?"

"They're fine. They're good. How's Nina?"

"We broke up. Well I broke up with her. I doubt she'll be talking to me anytime soon." Yeah chalk up another failed relationship Angel thinks to himself.

"Why did you do that?"

"The same reason I came to visit you."

"Right the world ending. That was just stupid."

"Hey I'm over 250 years old I don't think you can give me relationship advice" and it had seemed the right thing to do at that time considering he thought he was about to die.

"I can when you're stupid." Connor says emphatically.

"It wouldn't have worked out. I'm still in love with someone else."

"Cordelia right?"

Angel had dreaded this "You remember"

"Your love sick puppy dog eyes when she was around. Yes. And the other stuff. Yes as well but it's ok."

The other stuff. Is that what they're going to call it? "Jasmine used you. That's not ok"

"I know but I have to live with it and is Dawn single?"

Angel laughs at that "I don't know actually but I should warn you her sister is a slayer."

"You dated a slayer?" Connor asks somewhat impressed.

"I did. It didn't end well."

"How come?" Connor asks with genuine interest.

"Apart from me losing my soul, tormenting her for a few months and trying to end the world."

"Yeah apart from that."

"I was worried I would drag her down into the darkness with me so I left and came to LA."

"That sounds like something you would do." Connor remarks.

They sit in silence for a moment.

"Cordy's back." Angel states simply.

"Oh" is all Connor can manage.

"Do you want to see her?"

"She's here?"

"In her room."

Well Connor wasn't expecting this. He remembered everything. It was jumbled but it was there. Jasmine had exploited his feelings and used him to father her vessel. Of course there was also all those dark terrible memories of growing up in a hell dimension, he tried to ignore them. Does he want to see her? He'd barley met the real her before she disappeared and when she got back it wasn't really her. Perhaps he should get it over with now. If she's back he'll bump into her sometime. "I would like to see her" he decides.

Angel nods and leads Connor out of his office and up the stairs to Cordy's room.

On the way they pass Dawn and Buffy arguing. "Dawn you watch yourself around him" Buffy warns.

"What? He's a cute guy about my age. What is your problem?" Dawn hits back.

Oh boy! "Well how about he's Angel's son for starters"

Dawn nearly choked "Angel has a son? How?"

Buffy shrugs "Not sure, some higher power arranged it so Angel tells me"

"Well I still don't think you have an argument after all who's engaged to an alien?"

Buffy waves her hands shushing Dawn "Dawn that's a secret. Could you keep your voice down?"

Dawn lowers her voice "Actually it's not really a secret. The other slayers know."

Buffy sighs totally unsurprised "Of course they do. Why don't I just put my private life in the newspapers for the whole world to see."

"You're exaggerating Buffy but can we get back to the point that I'm an adult and can date who I want."

Buffy scoffs. She certainly doesn't act like an adult.

"Buffy don't scoff. You really can't preach when it comes to boyfriends" Dawn reminds her.

Ok Buffy concedes that point "Ok I know I really can't stop you but please be careful"

Dawn smiles at her sister "Thank you. I do love you, you know"

"I love you too Dawn" The two hug each other.

* * *

Cordy is searching through her clothes trying to find the right thing to wear when there's a knock on the door "Come in"

Angel opens it "Are you busy?"

"No not really what's up?" Cordy replies still rifling through the boxes.

"Connor's here and he wants to see you"

Cordy stops and turns to look at Angel "Oh sure that's ok"

"He remembers sort of. He has both set of memories, the real and fake ones but they're a little jumbled just to let you know" Angel informs her.

Cordy nods in understanding. She needs to sort this thing out with Connor. Angel steps back from the doorway and Connor walks in. Angel leaves them alone and decides he better go and check up on Illyria like he said he would.

Connor rather nervously "Hello Cordelia"

Cordy rolls her eyes "Cordy, you can call me Cordy. How are you?"

"Good. Applying to colleges actually"

"Well that's great." A moment "This is awkward isn't it"

Connor can't help but chuckle "Just ever so slightly but as Angel said I remember. I know it was Jasmine not you and I'm ok with it"

"Really?" Cordy asks.

"Yeah the new memories Angel got me are nice. I tend to ignore the darker real ones. I like my life the way it is now"

"Angel loves you. You're still his son"

"I know but I think we have some way to go to get a normal father son relationship." Connor is willing to try though as long as he can keep his current life as well.

"I can't argue with you there. Just so many things went wrong. We all ended up as pawns of someone else's game."

Connor shrugs "That's been my entire life. I shouldn't exist at all."

"Don't say that." Cordy reprimands him.

"Oh come on we both know it's true. Two vampires shouldn't have a child. I was created by Jasmine."

"It doesn't matter" Cordy states. "You do exist and don't believe for one moment that you shouldn't."

"Easy Cordy. You shouldn't get so worked up I don't. I've learned to live with it."

Cordy frowns. She's not happy.

"So are you and dad getting back together?" Connor asks. Hey he's curious.

Cordy's eyebrow arches "I don't think I should tell you that. I may as well ask you if you're seeing someone"

"Well there was this girl I met down the stairs who was cute"

Cordy tried to think about who that could be. They were a lot of them in the hotel "Who?"

"I think Dawn is her name"

"Buffy's sister!" Cordy can't believe this. What is it with Summers? Angel and Buffy and now Connor and Dawn.

"Oh that was Buffy" Connor had heard the stories during the brief time they all did get on. "So back to you and my dad"

Cordy shakes her head "I'm not discussing that with you. It's too weird"

Connor smirks "My whole life is weird". He notices the time and realises he has to get back to his parents. "I should get back to my parents. It's nice seeing you again Cordy"

Cordy smiles at that "Yeah it's nice seeing you too Connor" She points at him "You be good"

"I'll try" He heads for the door and as he reaches it he stops and turns "It's ok if you get back with Angel. I'll be fine with it."

"Thank you." Cordy replies.

Connor then heads off leaving Cordy to think about things. Well only one thing really. Her relationship with Angel.

* * *

A little later Cordy is dressed and making her way along the corridor to Lorne's room to check up on him. She hasn't come to any real conclusions about her relationship with Angel except that she is still madly in love with him. As she passes a door she hears Spike and Harmony still arguing. Spike is telling Harmony that he needs some sleep while she is still going on about this soul she supposedly wants.

Cordy makes her way to Lorne's room. She knocks and walks in to find Lorne sitting on the bed "So Lorne how are you?"

That is a loaded question Lorne thinks. How does he feel? Repulsed at what he did. Certainly. Killing someone. He should never have agreed to that even if that someone was Lindsey.

Cordy notices the silence "Lorne speak to me" she pleads.

"What is there to say? I killed a man."

Cordy sighs and sits down next to him. "Lorne I'm actually not sure what to say beyond I promise kicking Angel's butt is on my TO DO list and I actually think I might be able to do it. This new body they gave me is different and strong"

Lorne looks her over. He really wants to help Cordy. "Sing" he says

Cordy blinks "Are you sure? I mean I thought you were too depressed"

Lorne smiles "Never around you princess"

"Ok just let me think of something" Cordy tries to pick a song but isn't having much luck. Oh wait she knows. She clears her throat "Diamonds are forever…" she begins.

Lorne reads her but says nothing for a while. Cordy stops. "So?" she asks.

"James Bond fan I take it"

Cordy shrugs "What can I say? It's the accent"

Lorne chuckles softly. "You are not what you were before. That much I can see"

"Yeah I kinda knew that. So what am I?"

"Oh for that princess you need to talk to your slayer friend"

"Buffy. Why?" Cordy asks.

Lorne looks at her and Cordy tries to read it. Then she has an epiphany "On no. I'm not. Am I?"

Lorne nods "Fraid so. You're a slayer."

Cordy is near speechless "But how? Why?"

"Oh that's beyond me. You'll have to ask upstairs" referring to the the Powers that Be.

"Oh yeah like I'm really on good terms with them. I think they just sent me back because I was a pain in their metaphorical asses."

"That's not all I saw." Lorne says

"Ok what else?"

"I saw a final battle in the future between the demons and the slayers. I saw both you and Angel there. Perhaps that's why you're a slayer to be a bridge between him and them."

Cordy absorbed his words "Any time scale on this?" she asks.

Lorne shakes his head "Sorry no, although Angel was going grey but of course I don't know how fast he'll age so still no"

"Was Buffy there?" Cordy asks curious.

"Her destiny is harder to see. It's like it's obscured by something of great power. I can read her emotions no problem, I sensed a lot of love earlier"

"Yeah she did say she just got engaged. Oh wait her fiancé. The powers said she was joined to a being whose destiny they couldn't see, that his destiny was in his own hands."

"Lucky him" Lorne comments.

Cordy frowns in confusion.

Lorne explains "For centuries the demons like the Senior Partners have been manipulating people's destinies. I'm afraid very few of us are truly in control of our destiny. I thought you would have learned that from Jasmine. If Buffy's fiancé is one of these beings then the effect he can have on the world is virtually limitless and by being joined with him Buffy's freedom of choice is also restored"

"Lucky her" Cordy comments barely above a whisper. She only wishes she had that kind of freedom.

"Look princess. You still have some choice. It's just that final battle I saw, I'm afraid you're stuck, we all are in reality. But how you get there is entirely up to you"

"Apart from the head splitting visions I get"

Lorne smiles "Yes apart from those"

"Hey you're smiling" Cordy notices.

"Well you always do cheer me up" Lorne admits.

"I do?"

"Yes princess you do." A moment "You're still in love with Angel, I saw that as well"

Cordy sighs "I know. I wonder why sometimes, the big stupid lug that he is"

"Can't argue with you there. You know the worse thing about what happened is that I don't feel that bad about killing Lindsey"

Ah now Cordy understood what was bothering him "And you think you should feel bad"

Lorne nods.

"You know when Angel told me that he was dead I wasn't sorry about it either. I think we've been living around this darkness for too long but I think the fact you feel bad about not feeling bad is good" Cordy then runs that through her head a few times to make sure what she said made sense. "I think that's right. Did what I said make sense?"

"Actually yes. I mean I know Lindsey was not the solution to this problem. We used him to achieve something except for how long? How long till the Senior partners reorganise?"

Cordy thought about that "You're right. Oh I am dumb, Angel like dumb. We're sitting around here when we should be on the offensive"

"What do you mean?" Lorne asks

"The senior partner's hold on this dimension has been weakened and we're wallowing in self pity. Right I need to talk to Angel" Then what Lorne says about her being a bridge comes to mind "and Buffy. We'll need extra help" with that Cordy storms out the room on the hunt for Angel. She finds him snoring softly in his office chair and can't help but think how adorable he looks. She goes up to him and strokes his now warm cheek. "Angel" she says softly. Nothing. Oh well plan B. She gently kisses him full on the lips.

Angel is having a wonderful dream about Cordy kissing him when he wakes up to find Cordy kissing him. He wraps his arms around her and pulls her in and deepens the kiss. He can't help but hear Cordy's appreciative moan.

Angel is kissing her but Cordy can't help but think she's forgetting something. Oh what did she come down here for? Oh the Senior Partners. Right. "Angel" she says as she tries to pry herself loose.

"Hmm, hmm" he replies between kisses.

"We need to talk"

"No we don't"

Cordy uses her new found strength to push him back "Yes we do"

Angel sighs "We just never get a break do we?"

Cordy smiles at him "Fraid not champ but this is important I've had an epiphany, well a couple actually"

Angel's eyebrow rises in surprise. Cordy slaps his arm "Don't give me that look"

"Ow" Angel shouts as he rubs his arm. "Cordy that hurt"

"Oops Sorry. I'm still getting use to this slayer strength"

"You know!"

Cordy hears his tone of voice "You know! Why didn't you tell me?"

Angel flinches slightly "I didn't know. Buffy told me she suspected. Something about the way you fought those vampires"

"Oh this is great. As usual I'm the last to know. In fact now that you've mentioned it where is Buffy?"

"I think she went to get some sleep. Why?"

"Oh we need her help. It has to do with my second epiphany"

"Which is?" Angel asks trying to get her to elaborate.

"Well I was talking to Lorne, oh by the way I'm still going to kick your butt about what you did to him, and then it occurred to me that the Senior Partners hold on this dimension has been weakened and that we need to be more aggressive in combating their little minions"

"And for that we should ask Buffy if we can get a few extra hands" Angel was following her train of thought.

"You see you're not completely dumb after all" Cordy says with a cheeky grin.

Angel frowns at her "I am not dumb and you do have a point but I think all this can wait until after we bury Wesley tonight"

Cordy visibly saddens "Yeah you're right it can. By the way for a hotel full of teenage girls it's awful quiet is it not". Cordy hadn't seen a lot of them about.

"I think most of them are getting some sleep" at which point Angel yawns "which was what I was doing until you woke me up" Angel looks out his office "Have Spike and Harmony stopped arguing yet?"

Cordy shakes her head "Nope. They're still at it. Harmony seems strangely committed to this getting her soul back idea"

"She'll probably be off it by tomorrow and then I can kick her out"

"Angel that's not nice" Cordy says

"Well she can't be trusted. She betrayed me you know and even if she got her soul back that doesn't mean she's going to automatically become a good person"

"I know" Cordy reluctantly agrees. "It was just I felt sorry for her and I know she doesn't deserve it but I couldn't leave her and what if she does get her soul back. It would our job to help her wouldn't it?" Cordy waves her hand "I know, I know. I'm being silly"

"Cordy you're never silly. You're a wonderful, caring person" not to mention beautiful, mesmerizing and before Angel realises it he is moving towards her.

Cordy sees Angel move toward her "Angel?"

Angel says nothing and continues and kisses her. Her lips are so soft and she tastes so sweet and before he realises it he's speaking "I love you Cordelia Chase"

Cordy answers almost automatically "I love you too"

Both then suddenly stop and stare into each other's eyes. "Did we..?" Angel asks

Cordy nods "We did"

Angel smiles "I'm glad. I should have told you long ago"

"Why didn't you?" Cordy asks genuinely wanting to know.

"The curse Cordy. It wasn't fair to tell you that when I could never give you everything that I am"

"And now?"

"Now. The curse no longer matters. I'm alive and Angelus is gone and so is the blood lust I'm glad to say. In fact I don't know what I am now. I don't suppose you do?"

"Yes I do. You're the man I love, dead or alive" Cordy answers

"That's not what I meant"

"I know that"

"So what now?" Angel asks her.

Cordy has a few ideas. "Well Buffy's asleep so our war summit can wait until later. Right now I think it's time you gave me everything you are"

Angel blinks in astonishment "Cordy I…"

Cordy places her finger to his lips silencing him "Shh. No more talking" She takes his hand and leads him out of the office and upstairs to her room.

* * *

Author's Note: Next chapter Clark in Smallville and a certain ex-girlfriend is going to be causing problems.


	15. Part 2 Chapter 6

Clark had made sure Buffy got to the hotel safely before he flew off back to Smallville to get a change of clothes and get out of his now probably ruined suit. As he flies he fingers the cut in it and sighs unhappily. He just had it made and the smell of demon goo, as Buffy put it, was seriously awful to his heightened sense of smell. He could do with a rest after all the energy he exerted tonight and not just fighting demons he thinks. He can't keep the smile off his face as he thinks of Buffy. He proposed. She accepted. He's engaged. His life just can't get any better than this.

It's still dark when he gets back to Smallville even though the sun will rise soon. He can hear his mother's gentle breathing indicating she's still asleep as he enters the house. That's good, he'll let his mother rest while he gets a shower.

After his shower Clark tries his new look. When he first got back Chloe had volunteered herself to help him pick a new wardrobe. Gone were the jeans and shirts, at least in public. When he was relaxing at home he would still wear them. Anyway Chloe had come up with a professional look, basically a suit. He put it on and looked at himself in the mirror. Hmm it wasn't so bad. Right now just the final touch, the one that would allow him to go public one day and do his hero thing as Chloe called it. Clark reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a pair of glasses and put them on.

He looked in the mirror. They helped hide his rather distinctive eye colour he noted. Clark gave himself a good look over. He really did look different. It was important he started this now so people would expect to see Clark Kent in glasses and a suit and not flying about in the other suit. He wondered if Buffy would like this look. They hadn't really talked about all this yet. Too busy with saving the world and other stuff. He blushes at the thought of the other stuff. He really loves that woman.

On his way to the stairs he bumps into his mother "Morning mom."

"Morning honey. Did you find Buffy?"

"Yes." Clark scratches the back of his head nervously.

Martha knows that gesture "Ok honey what happened?"

"I proposed to her."

"And?" Martha asks with a strained tone that noted her surprise.

Clark breaks out into a smile "She said yes."

Martha smiles "Oh that's great honey. Where is she?"

"In LA. There was a problem we had to deal with."

Ok Martha knows the euphemism. That means something bad happened. "So how serious was it this time?"

"End of the world as we know it serious but it's fine, we stopped it but my suit is probably ruined and I just made it as well." Clark gets a forlorn look on his face and Martha can't help but chuckle at it. Clark is just so child like in some ways.

"So what happened in LA?"

"Demon army numbering in the thousands and oh there was a dragon there."

"A real dragon?"

"I guess. It looked like one and it flew. Buffy's ex boyfriends were there as well. Perhaps I should have let the dragon fry them."

Martha shakes her head "You don't mean that Clark."

"Maybe not but I would be lying if I didn't say that the thought entered my head for a moment."

"Clark if you love Buffy have faith and trust in her."

"I do." Clark answers. "She wants to come with me while I travel round the world."

"That's good but doesn't that mean you won't be having the wedding anytime soon."

"I suppose. Truthfully we haven't had time to talk about all this yet." but they will.

"Well there's plenty of time for that. Do you mind putting breakfast on?"

"Of course not." Clark kisses his mother's cheek and heads down the stairs.

Martha watches him go and has to say she likes the new look Chloe came up for him. Oh goodness she's going to be a mother-in-law she suddenly realises. As long as Clark is happy she is happy and he does look very happy. Well she better get to having her shower.

Clark and his mother are sitting down eating breakfast when he hears a car approach. He puts his glasses on the end of his nose and zooms in on it. "Chloe's coming." he says.

Martha looks up at him and the way his glasses rest on his nose. "Is that really necessary for you to do?"

Clark pushes the glasses back up and thinks about it "Probably not but I did it anyway. That's odd. I don't know why I did it actually."

Martha worries slightly that Clark is becoming quite odd but his mastery of his powers is quite impressive now.

A few minutes later Chloe comes barging in "Clark! Thank god you're here. I've been trying to reach you for hours."

"Hello Clark. It's nice to see you. How have you been?" Clark mocks.

"There's no time for that. You are not going to believe what happened at the Planet last night."

"Well not unless you tell me Chloe."

"Ok. Lana showed up with her fiancé."

"Oh." Clark says. "Well that's nice. I'm glad for her."

"Clark that fiancé was you."

Clark stares at Chloe "What? That's impossible. I was in LA."

"Are you sure Chloe?" Martha asks.

"Yes. Trust me Clark is unmistakable and I thought you were in Scotland?"

"I was, something came up but back to what the hell are you on about me being Lana's fiancé?"

"Just as I said. Lois and I were working late when Lana and you came in announcing that you were engaged."

"Well it wasn't me Chloe." Clark states firmly.

"Yeah I kind of guessed that from the blank look I got when I asked you, I mean him where Buffy was."

"Did he know you?"

Chloe nods "and Lois and Jimmy."

Clark thought it over. This double knew Lana and Chloe and Lois and Jimmy. That means. "It has to be the Phantom."

"Your bizarre double. I thought he was living on the sunny side of Mars."

"He's suppose to be but it makes sense that he would do this."

"It does?" Chloe asks dumbfounded.

"Think about it. When he copied my memories I was in love with Lana and it was before I met Buffy. He's acting out on what he thinks will ruin my life." Of course it will succeed anyway if Buffy finds out about this. She'll kill him real slowly if she thinks it's him doing this.

Chloe listened to Clark. That actually makes sense. "So what do we do?"

"Not sure. I can't go charging in without risking Lana's safety."

Chloe snorts "Clark I'm not sure Lana's worth that amount of concern anymore. She is not the person you knew."

"I know. You said. Ok lets start with do you know where they are?"

Chloe shakes her head "No and considering your double has your powers they could be anywhere."

"But not right now. Sunlight weakens him and his skin turns to stone. He'll be hiding up somewhere shady."

"Probably in Lana's bed." Chloe mutters after seeing how luvy dovy they were last night.

Clark looks at her "Chloe please don't put images like that in my head."

"Sorry. So where do you want to start?"

"You know more about Lana's life than me Chloe. Where do you think we should start?"

Chloe thinks about it. "We could probably start at that Isis foundation she set up. It's really just a front for her spying on Lex."

"Sounds good." Clark then finishes his breakfast at Superspeed. "Right lets go."

Martha shakes her head at that display. "Be careful Clark." she says with concern.

"I will mom. I'm not the person it fought a year ago so this time I have the advantage." Clark kisses her on the cheek and he and Chloe head outside.

"Before we go can I ask if you asked Buffy about.." Chloe says knowing that Clark was going to propose.

"She said yes." Clark answers

"That's great. Where is she?"

"LA. I needed to come home and get some clothes. We had some trouble."

"End of the world trouble or relationship trouble?"

"The first one."

"Wow on your first night back together. That has to be a record even for you."

"Funny Chloe. So drive or fly?"

"Fly!" Chloe practically yells. "You've been denying me for years so come on farm boy, pick me up and lets go."

Clark puts his glasses on his pocket and picks her up.

"No suit?" Chloe asks.

"No. Firstly it got cut and coated in something that smelled worse than Lois' laundry."

"Oh that is gross." Chloe comments knowing all too well what Lois' laundry smells like.

"And secondly it isn't very conspicuous. It'll be easier to go unnoticed dressed like this."

"Ok and by the way my make over skills are great. Come on you can admit it."

"Nah" Clark says as he starts to fly up.

* * *

A short time later in the Isis foundation "How often is Lana here?" Clark asks as he looks around at all the computer equipment.

"I don't know. We don't exactly talk a lot anymore." Chloe replies as she tries to hack her way in.

"What is Lex up to these days?" Clark asks as this is what Lana is doing, spying on Lex.

"What isn't he up to?" Chloe replies. "You name it, Lex is probably doing it."

"How's Lois by the way?"

"She's good actually. Loves working at the Planet. She's going to be a star one day."

"Really?"

"Yeah she's probably better than me even though if you tell her that I'll deny it." Chloe wasn't ashamed of that fact. She is proud of Lois.

Chloe finally breaks in "Ok so here we go."

What pops up on the screen are Kryptonian symbols. "What the hell is this?" Chloe asks.

Clark frowns as he reads it. He knows this. He learned this from Jor-El during his training "It's the base code for the Brain Interactive Construct."

"You sure?"

Clark nods "Yes but it's incomplete. There are error messages. Bring up that part." Clark asks Chloe as he points to a group of symbols.

Chloe does so.

"It's a reboot sequence and every time it reboots it is getting closer to correcting the errors. Can you find out when this started?"

Chloe looks through the files. "Here. Lana and your double broke into one of Lex's labs. Lana writes that they broke something containing a metallic liquid collected from scrapings of the black ship."

Clark shakes his head. If he didn't have enough problems already.

"Hmm." Chloe says

"What?"

"It seems they are trying to find it." Chloe brings up a map. "This shows deaths where the victims' bodies have been drained of minerals."

"Brainiac is trying to rebuild itself." Clark extrapolates.

"The latest one's are among the homeless around Suicide Slums." Chloe tells him.

"Then that's where I am going." Clark says

"You mean we." Chloe tells him

"No Chloe. Even incomplete Brainiac is far too dangerous for you to come." Clark will need his full concentration. He can't be worrying about Chloe.

Before Chloe can protest they are interrupted by a voice "Hey Smallville shouldn't you be with your fiancée?"

Clark closes his eyes and grimaces. How is he going to explain this one? He turns around "Hey Lois. How are you?"

Lois looks Clark over. He doesn't look half bad in that suit she thinks to herself but he didn't have those glasses last night. "I'm fine but you are avoiding my question."

"Well you see Lois…" Clark is tripping over every word.

Chloe comes to the rescue "That wasn't Clark last night. At least not the real one."

Clark stars at Chloe like she's gone mad.

"I knew it!" Lois proclaims. "I knew something was off when I asked that impostor about your round the world trip and he didn't know anything about it. By the way how was your trip?"

"Good. Just got back from LA actually." Clark decides to go along with this. He might as well but he and Chloe are going to have a serious talk later.

"Fly in did you?"

"Yes." Clark answers and Chloe has to do her best not to burst out laughing at that.

Clark ignores Chloe's mirth and gets back to Lois "So you knew that that guy wasn't me?"

"I suspected. I mean he actually hit on me despite his engagement. I mean as if I would be attracted to you."

"Oh thanks Lois. That makes me all warm and fuzzy inside and the feelings mutual and oh I am actually engaged just not to Lana." Clark didn't know what made him say that except Lois just seems to have the ability to hit a nerve.

Lois blinks at that. "You're engaged? To who?"

"You never met her. I met her on my trip." Clark hopes Lois will buy that.

"Oh well. Congratulations. What's her name? Where is she?"

"Her name is Buffy and she's still in LA, catching up with some old friends. She's from California originally."

"Wow didn't think a Californian girl would be your type Smallville." Even though Lois won't say it she's happy Clark has found someone and doubly glad it's not the pink princess.

Clark rolls his eyes at her comments.

Lois continues "But at least your dress sense has improved but I'm amazed, how can you live without plaid?"

Before Clark answers Chloe steps in "His new dress sense is thanks to me. I gave him a makeover."

"Well then congrats couz. So how did you get him out of all that plaid?" Lois asks.

"It was surprisingly easy actually. You see…"

Clark stops them before Chloe retells their entire shopping trip "I think we're getting a little off track here."

Lois decides that he's right for once. "So any idea what this impostor is?" she asks.

"Perhaps some sort of clone." Chloe supplies. She has to come up with something without revealing the whole truth about Clark and after all it really is a sort of clone. "I mean didn't you suspect Lex was doing that last year."

"Suspect nothing. He was cloning people. I just couldn't find the proof and why would Smallville's double be marrying Lana?"

"Don't know." Chloe answers. She turns back to the computer "Although according to this they've been together for at least 6 months."

"What!?" Lois walks up to the screen and reads. That can't be right. She can't have not noticed a fake Clark for that long. "How the hell have they been keeping this secret for so long?"

Clark suspected it was probably to do with his double's inability to be in direct sunlight. His double was very intelligent and manipulative and could easily hide for that long if it wanted to. Of course at the moment he really needed an excuse to get out of here and hunt down Brainiac.

"I'm as surprised as you Lois." Chloe informs her cousin. She really was. How had she not noticed this?

"Well we need to find them. That fake Smallville is the proof I need to nail Lex. Where is the pink princess staying these days?"

Chloe thinks "She has an apartment in Metropolis I think."

"You think?" Lois asks.

"Well yes. We're not exactly on talking terms lately Lois. We had a falling out."

"So what are you doing here then?" Lois asks.

"The same as you but I knew Clark was in LA. We talked a few days ago on the phone." Chloe is lying through her teeth.

"You did? Wow your acting last night was pretty good. I don't think the fake knew any different that you were onto him."

"Thank you Lois. So shall we find them?"

"Absolutely." Lois replies as she turns and heads for the door.

Clark sees this as a chance to get away "Lois could you give me and Chloe a minute. I need to ask her something in private."

"Fine but don't be too long." Lois says as she walks out the door.

"Ok what is it Clark?" Chloe asks as soon as Lois is gone.

"For starters what the hell was that about? Oh it's probably a clone Lois." Clark says with some sarcasm.

"Well I had to say something and she already suspected something was off. I mean what was the alternative. That you say it was you last night?"

Clark sighs "No you're right. I'm sorry."

"Ok then. let's go."

"No I have to go find Brainiac. You and Lois track down Lana but do not confront my double Chloe. It doesn't have feelings like me. It is a discarded experiment and it is bitter and revengeful. Give me your phone."

"What do you want my phone for?" Chloe asks as she fishes it out her bag.

"If you find Lana and the Phantom call me. I'm sure Lois has a phone."

Chloe hands over her phone "She does."

"Good. Now Chloe I'm serious, it is as powerful as me. Do not confront it."

"I heard you the first time Clark." Chloe says somewhat annoyed at him that he doesn't think she gets it.

And with a nod Clark disappears at superspeed leaving Chloe to give the explanations to Lois. Chloe catches up with her cousin who is standing outside the building. "Where's Smallville?" Lois asks.

"He's pursuing his own leads." Chloe says.

Lois looks at Chloe somewhat sceptical. Saying that Clark always did do these disappearing tricks. "Whatever. Come on get in the car."

Chloe gets in the passenger's seat "By the way Lois do you have your phone with you?"

"Of course why?" Lois asks as she gets in the car.

"I loaned mine to Clark"

That isn't like Chloe Lois thinks to herself. "Well you can borrow mine if you have to."

"Thank you Lois."

"What are cousins for?" she says with a shrug as she starts the car up. "So where's this apartment Lana is shacking up with fake Smallville?"

* * *

In the meantime Clark is searching for Brainiac. This is just great. He's gone a year and possibly his two deadliest enemies are up and on the loose. He was going to have to have a long talk with J'onn about his bizarre double's escape and he has no idea how he'll explain this to Buffy.

"Greetings Kal-El."

Clark spins at the voice. "Brainiac." Clark studies it. It's resemblance to Spike is creepy and it looks pale. "If I didn't know you were a machine I'd say you were ill."

"You are here about the phantom." Brainiac says ignoring Clark's comment.

"It's one of the reasons I am here." Clark says vaguely trying not to give Brainiac any unnecessary information.

"It came to see me as well. I see it's moved in with your girlfriend."

Clark was half tempted to point out that he and Lana were long done but that would be giving Brainiac an edge on him so he says nothing about her. "What did it want?"

"A way to stop it's skin from turning to stone in the yellow sun."

"Is there a way?"

"Perhaps."

"You didn't tell him so you would keep an advantage over him."

Brainiac studies Clark with interest at his deduction "You are different."

Clark smirks "A lot can happen while you were stuffed away in a test tube which is where you will be going back to very soon."

Brainiac smiles "Without me you'll never stop him. He's had months to prepare for your return."

Clark can see where this is going. It wants to cut a deal in exchange for information "What do you want?"

"Your word that you won't destroy me."

Clark laughs "Right I'm going to stand by and do nothing while you what? Try to destroy the world again."

"Look at me. Do I look like I'm in any condition to destroy anything? I'm damaged, incomplete."

Clark has no sympathy whatsoever. Still he needs someway to destroy his double but yet he can't let Brainiac remain free. He needs to word this carefully. "Ok I'll give you my word I won't destroy you but in return I want to know everything and if I find out you are lying to me…"

Brainiac cuts him off "Save your threats Kal-El, your double made similar ones. So I have your word?"

Clark sighs "Yes you have my word, now tell me what my double is up to and how to stop him." Clark really hopes he knows what he is doing here by making a deal with this thing.


	16. Part 2 Chapter 7

Lois and Chloe are driving along. "So are you going to tell me yet?" Lois asks.

"Tell you what?" Chloe asks back.

"Who your new boyfriend is?"

"What boyfriend?" Chloe asks.

"Oh come on Chlo. I know that smile you walk in with some mornings". Oh yes Lois knows. It's the I just had great sex smile.

Oh no. Chloe had thought she hadn't been that obvious. "Look Lois I, we just like to keep it secret. It's all new and I don't want to ruin it"

"Ok I understand but you know you can come to me any time you want right?"

"Yes Lois I know and thank you" Chloe really does appreciate that. "So what about you?"

"What about me?" Lois asks.

"Lois I'm not the only one who has been walking in with a smile. You got back together with Oliver didn't you?"

"I don't know what you are on about Chloe" Lois claims.

"Sure Lois" Chloe says not believing her cousin for an instant.

"Ok maybe I did" Lois concedes. "but can we talk about this after we find the fake Smallville and the pink princess?"

"Ok Lois. Here it's the next left" Chloe says as she points to the left where Lana's apartment is.

They stop in front of the apartment block and Lois' phone goes off. She gets it out of her bag "Hey Chloe how are you phoning me?" she asks at the caller id.

"Remember l lent it to Clark"

Lois answers "Hey Smallville…You want to talk to Chloe…Sure hang on"

Lois passes the phone to Chloe "Hey Clark where are you?"

"On the roof of the building across the street" he had flown over after he had finished talking to Brainiac.

Chloe turns her back to Lois and lowers her voice "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for the phantom. They're not in and it's not the only problem"

"Ok so what else?"

"I had a talk with Brainiac. Apparently the phantom has been preparing for my return"

"Preparing how?"

"Kryptonite. He's been stocking up. Apparently even the gem in Lana's engagement ring is kryptonite"

"And do you believe what Brainiac told you?"

"I don't trust it to tell me the whole truth, only what serves its interests. Look I can see Lois is getting suspicious. The apartment's empty from what I can see. Can you go in and look around for me? They're a few hidden alcoves that have been lined with lead I can't see into"

"Yeah ok no problem." Chloe raises her voice for Lois' benefit "Ok see you later Clark." She then hangs up the phone.

"So how is Clark getting on with his leads?" Lois asks.

Chloe turns round "Nothing concrete. So shall we go and see if the happy couple are in?"

Lois was sure there was more to that than Chloe was saying but she can ask about it later "Sure"

Clark stands there and watches them walk in. "I know you're there. I can hear you" he says.

J'onn Jonzz walks up beside him "Kal-El. You have returned from your training much improved I am glad to see"

"Yeah. So enough praising me and move on to the explanation of how the phantom escaped"

I underestimated it" J'onn reluctantly admits. "It has been preparing for your return"

"I know. I may have some ideas about that. Just before I left for my training I met some interesting people who could help"

"You could always ask Oliver Queen and the others to help"

"No. They would ask me to join and I'm not ready for that yet. I still have things to learn. Once I've dealt with this I'll be off on my travels. My father says I need to understand the different peoples of this world first"

J'onn nods "I understand. These others you mentioned wouldn't involve a women you are in love with would it?"

Clark arched an eyebrow "I didn't know you read people's minds without their approval"

"I don't but your feelings are very strong. It is hard to miss for a telepath"

Clark laughs softly "I suppose they are. I don't feel so lonely when I'm with her. We just sort of instantly clicked. It was never that way with Lana."

"I understand that as well. I once had a wife and family"

"How are Oliver and the others doing?" Clark asks interested.

"They have recruited a new member, a woman who goes by Black Canary"

"What's her special skill?"

"Her vocal chords are capable of generating hypersonic frequencies."

Clark winced "Ouch. I'll be avoiding that with my hearing"

"Your friends are leaving" J'onn says in reference to Lois and Chloe.

"I know" Clark replies having kept his eye on them the whole time. "I don't suppose you know where the phantom currently is do you?"

"I am afraid not. It has become very skilled at avoiding me."

"Well I'm assuming it's some place shady right now"

"No doubt. The sunlight weakens it. It won't confront you during the day. That was its error last time"

"Yes I thought as much. Don't worry as I said I have an idea or two. I just need to find it first" Just then Chloe's phone rings. "Go Chloe"

Chloe back outside the apartment block "We didn't find anything to say where they were but I did find some things but I think it would be better if we discussed that in person"

"I'll meet you at the Planet" Clark tells her.

"Right" Chloe answers back.

"So what did Smallville say?" Lois asks.

"That he'll meet us at the Planet" Chloe tells her.

Lois gets in the car "I can't believe we didn't find anything. I mean the place was spotless like they weren't even living there"

Chloe in the passenger seat "I'm not so sure they were. I mean I think they visit occasionally because there was no mail but they're obviously living somewhere else"

"You're right Chlo. I should have seen that. Right then lets go."

Clark watches them drive off.

"They're good people" J'onn comments.

"Yes they are. Well I should get going. Wanna race?"

J'onn actually laughs "No thank you Kal-El"

Clark shrugs "Suit yourself. I'll need you're help later if I may ask for it"

"You may" J'onn responds

"Great. I'll contact you later" and with a slight bend of his legs he shoots off for the Planet.

At the Planet Clark finds Chloe sitting at her desk "Where's Lois?" he asks

"Getting some lunch"

"So what did you need to see me in person about?" Clark asks

"I found your voids. They had kryptonite in them"

"I thought they might have. If Lois isn't here can you check out an address Brainiac gave me"

"Why didn't you check it out?" Chloe asks.

"I did. Every wall was lined with lead and I thought it unwise to go charging in considering how long my double has had to prepare. Can you bring up the plans?"

Chloe was shocked. Clark Kent thinking before charging in. What had happened to him? "Sure" she answers as she searches for the plans on her computer. "I like the new you by the way"

"New me?" Clark asks

"Yes. You're thinking before charging in"

"Ahh. Yes. I did have a habit of that didn't I. Well I had a year alone with Jor-El to consider such things and I realised that sometimes having a plan is best. I already have an idea or two about how to deal with my erstwhile double"

The plans pop up and Clark scans them.

"What are we looking for?" Chloe asks.

"Not sure truthfully. Some way in that my double overlooked. I think the front door is a bit obvious."

"Just a bit" Chloe agreed. The she did some more typing "I could bring up the sewer plans there might be a way in through them"

Clark smiles "I missed you Chloe"

"Well I missed you. Being a sidekick just isn't as much fun without the superhero"

"Chloe you're much more than a sidekick"

The sewer plans pop up "Here we go." Chloe says. She looks them over "Well a sewer goes under the building but I don't see an access"

"That's ok. He'll just make one myself" Clark tells her.

"Who?"

"J'onn" Clark answers. "I'll lure the phantom out and I'll ask J'onn to get rid of the kryptonite for me"

"So when are you doing this?" Chloe asks

Clark shakes his head "Not right now. My plan will need a few other people to make it work"

* * *

Buffy wakes up from her sleep. What's the time? She check her wrists. Great. Where is her watch? She finds it on the floor and picks it up. 1.30pm and still no sign of Clark. Hmm. She feels their first argument coming. She stretches and yawns and her stomach grumbles. Oh well she'll get some lunch. She goes downstairs to find it surprisingly quiet. In the kitchen she finds Xander and Willow. "Where is everyone?"

"I sent most of them home while you were asleep and oh Dawn as well. She said she had stuff to do" Willow tells Buffy.

"That's good. Any sign of Clark?"

"Fraid not" Xander informs her.

"I hope he's ok"

"I'm sure he's fine Buffy" Willow tries to reassure her.

"Yeah you're probably right" A smirk suddenly forms on her face "Maybe I finally wore him out"

"Oh god. I don't need that image in my head" Xander exclaims. "It's bad enough that I imagine what Will gets up to"

"What do you mean what I get up to?" Willow asks.

"What you get up to with your secret girlfriend" Buffy says

Willow's gaze drifts to the floor "What secret girlfriend?"

"The one you teleport off to see on a regular basis" Xander points out. Honestly like he wouldn't notice a change like that in his best friend.

Willow can't believe this. She thought she had been more discreet. "Alright. I have a girlfriend but we want to keep it secret for now if that's ok"

Buffy shrugs. What difference did it make? "If that's what you want Will but you know we'll support you"

"Yes I do. Thank you"

At that moment there's a whoosh and standing there in a suit and glasses is Clark "Willow can you conjure up a ball of sunlight?"

Buffy can't believe she's being ignored "Hello Buffy. You're looking beautiful. You're the love of my life"

Clark smirks "Hello Buffy. You're looking beautiful. You're the love of my life"

Buffy's eyes narrow "You're not that funny and what's up with the suit and glasses"

"It's my disguise. Chloe came up with it"

"I think it's great" Willow says "and to answer your question I can conjure up a ball of sunlight. Why?"

"I have a problem and I need help"

"What kind of problem?" Xander asks

"My evil double" Clark states.

"Wow you have an evil double" Xander says impressed. "Why don't I get an evil double?" he complains.

Buffy thinks back. Evil double? "Oh wait is that that phantom you mentioned?"

Clark nods "Yes. It escaped and it's in Metropolis pretending it's me"

"Why?" Willow asks.

"Well I think it acts on the memories it absorbed from me when it copied me. The last time it wanted to get rid of me and take my place"

"So what has it been up to?" Xander asks

"Don't know everything but it has been preparing for my return so it's been stocking up on kryptonite"

"Won't that kill it?" Buffy asks knowing what kryptonite does to Clark.

"No. It's like an opposite. It feeds on kryptonite but sunlight weakens it"

"Oh I get it" Willow says "I conjure up a ball of sunlight and weaken it so you can kick it's butt"

"More or less. I need to destroy it this time"

"Ok how?" Buffy asks

Clark gets out a lead box "With this". He then tosses it to Buffy. "Open it"

Buffy does so and inside is a blue glowing rock. "What is it?"

"Blue kryptonite" Clark says. Brainiac had given him it. He wasn't sure what it would do to him exactly. Brainiac had said it would overload his double and he would literally blow apart. "It has to be placed in contact with the phantom's skin and it should destroy him. I'll need your help Buffy. I can't risk touching it"

"No problem"

"Oh I'll also need your help with Lana"

"Lana? I thought she was dead. You told me that"

"She faked it" Clark informs them.

"Why would she do that?" Xander asks

"It's complicated but the bottom line is, like I said the phantom is pretending to be me"

Understanding dawns on Buffy "You mean it,…, and her,…, eww" Buffy's face scrunches up in disgust.

Clark nods "That and they're engaged. God they even put an announcement in the Planet which I am having cancelled as we speak." He's just glad Chloe noticed that before he flew here.

"What!" Buffy screams. "I'll kill them"

Clark places his hands on Buffy's shoulders "Calm down. It's not her fault but I need her away from me. Her engagement ring is made from green kryptonite. I can't afford to be near her and I also don't want her hurt so she needs to be…."

"Restrained" Xander offers

"I suppose" Clark says "But she does know martial arts so whoever does it will have to be careful"

"So when are we doing this?" Willow asks

"After dark. The phantom won't come out while the sun is up"

"Oh that's great" Buffy says cheerfully then her face darkens "That'll give you a few hours to explain where the hell you have been and why you can't call your fiancée?"

Clark scratches his head nervously "Well I was eating breakfast when Chloe barged in and told me about the phantom and Lana and then we went to look for it and then I found out about Brainiac as well"

"Brainiac?" Willow asks

"The Brain Interactive Construct. It's a kryptonian artificial intelligence. Oh I'll need your help with that as well"

"Why?" Xander asks

"Well it told me where to find the phantom but in exchange I gave my word that I wouldn't destroy it"

Buffy snorts "Oh so you expect us to destroy it. Clever play on words there Clark but you haven't answered my questions". Buffy's tone is now dangerous.

Willow and Xander have seen this tune before "Right I'm sure we have stuff to do" Xander says and they leave quickly.

Buffy has wrapped Clark's tie around her hand "Buffy I'm sorry I didn't call. I am. Please don't be mad at me"

Buffy tugs and pulls Clark's head down "For what? Disappearing for hours and coming back dressed like this. You want to know what I think of your little geek outfit?"

Clark gulps "Sure. Of course. I always want to know what you think"

Buffy in a low voice "I think it's sexy". She then pulls Clark in for a sizzling kiss. It's at this point that Clark's brain loses the ability to form coherent thought and he just acts on instinct as he lifts Buffy up onto the kitchen counter and she starts undoing his tie.

A loud cough and Buffy and Clark turn to look at the doorway where Cordy is standing.

"I'm not interrupting anything am I?" Cordy asks in amused tone. She had only come down for something to eat because Angel was sleeping. She had worn him out and he had worked up her appetite and what does she find? Buffy making out in the kitchen.

Clark tries to straighten himself out while Buffy just hops down off the counter "Yes you are but while you're here I'll introduce you. Clark this is Cordelia Chase. Cordelia this is my fiancé Clark Kent"

"Yeah I guessed that from the lip lock you were planting on him. It's nice to meet you. Buffy has told me nothing" Cordy says as she holds out her hand. So this is the strange powerful being that has the Powers totally screwed up. Well he's certainly tall Cordy will give him that and handsome and bad Cordy. Stop thinking about other men.

Clark takes it "Same here on both counts actually" he says somewhat confused.

"That's because she was dead" Buffy points out.

"Ah" Clark says. "Welcome to the club" he jokes.

"Club?" Cordy asks

"You know the back from the dead club." Clark explains.

"You've been dead?" Cordy asks.

Clark nods "Twice"

Cordy shakes her head. Only Buffy. She was going to leave this to later but with both Buffy and her fiancé here they should do this now "Well now you're up I'll get Angel. We need to talk"

"About what?" Buffy asks

"Well it would be better if Angel was here and oh Lorne as well. He saw something important when he read me"

"Is this the end of the world important?" Buffy asks

"Possibly. Lorne can explain it better than me. I'll go get them" Cordy then disappears off.

Buffy shakes her head "See what I have to put up with. Now I have two crises to deal with. This is what I get for agreeing to lead the slayers, which by the way you insisted I do"

Clark holds his hands up "Hey it was just a suggestion and we all have problems. My destiny is to lead the human race away from it's own self destruction and I haven't the faintest idea how to achieve that except by leading by example which is where the glasses come in"

Buffy was confused "Ok are you going to explain that?"

"I told you it's a disguise. I'll wear it for a few years so people can't really remember what I look like without them and then I'll have to make a public debut at some point. No offence to you or your fellow slayers. I can't do what I need to from the shadows"

"Yeah I figured as much and you know what I'm kinda sick of those shadows anyway. Maybe I could get a pair of glasses and have a disguise as well". Buffy saunters up to Clark. "You should see my geek ensemble" she says in a incredibly low and sexy tone that makes Clark eyes glow with barely restrained lust.

Oh what the hell. Clark picks Buffy up and kisses her with every ounce of strength he would risk using on her and Buffy responds by wrapping her legs around his waist.

"You know there are dozens of rooms in this hotel for that sort of thing"

Clark and Buffy both inwardly groan and break apart to find Spike standing there cigarette in hand.

"Spike don't you have better things to do?" Buffy asks rather annoyed and wow is it hot in here or is it just her?

Before Spike can answer. "Spike!" Harmony's voice echoes.

"Bloody hell. Hide me" Spike dashes behind one of the kitchen counters just before Harmony walks in.

Harmony was looking for Spike so they could talk more about these trials she would have to go through to get her soul back when she walks in the kitchen to find Buffy and an incredibly hunky man, well she thinks he's a man, his scent is a bit strange but hey she's not that picky. "Hi there. I'm Harmony" she says to Clark in a tone that was so obviously her flirting with him.

"Clark Kent" Clark responds politely. He turns to Buffy "Another vampire?" he asks at the missing heartbeat from the blond woman.

Buffy is stifling the urge to stake Harmony for flirting with Clark "Yes but won't be for much longer if she lays a hand on you"

"What? Oh I get it. You think he's yours because you saw him first. Not every man falls for you Buffy"

"But I did." Clark informs her. "Hence the ring on her left hand" which Buffy shows off.

Harmony stares at the pretty diamond "Wow that must have cost a fortune"

"Not really. I made it myself" Clark says.

"Oh well congratulations then. Anyway have you seen Spike?" Harmony asks getting back on track.

Buffy was actually in two minds. One she could be nice and save Spike or two she could be vindictive and tell Harmony he was cowering not more than 5 feet away. Buffy points to behind the counter "He's there". Hey he interrupted her and Clark. He could have walked off but no.

Harmony peers round the corner of the counter "There you are. Now I have some more questions about these trials"

Spike stands up "Oh thank you very much" he says to Buffy

Buffy smiles sweetly "You're welcome and oh next time perhaps you'll know not to interrupt when I'm making out with my fiancé"

Spike smiles sarcastically at her before turning back to Harmony "Harm I think I've told you everything. After we bury Wesley tonight I'll fight you like I promised. Ok?"

Harmony shrugs "Sure. Whatever"

Cordy reappears at this moment and sees Spike and Harmony "Oh good you two can come as well"

"Come to what?" Spike asks

"We need to have a meeting. Lorne read me and he saw some stuff"

Spike rolls his eyes. This was probably going to be bad. He takes a puff of his cigarette. "Right then. Shall we?"

Cordy nods and walks off with Spike and Harmony following.

"Come on Clark. This'll be your first apocalypse meeting and I've been storing up my inspirational speeches for over a year now" Buffy takes Clark's hand and drags him off.


	17. Part 2 Chapter 8

Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews. Here is the next chapter.

* * *

Clark followed Buffy but thinking he should have told her why he knew Lana would have to be restrained. It's because when he went to check out that address Brainiac had given him he had seen her walking out and he thought, hoped he could get her to realise that the phantom was not him. He approached her as close as he dare considering the kryptonite ring she was wearing. "Lana" he shouted.

Lana froze. She had left Clark sleeping in their bed which could only mean that what was calling her name was the phantom he had warned her about. She turned to look at it. It was not as she at all expected. It was dressed nicely in a suit and was wearing a pair of glasses. "Stay away from me. I know what you are"

"Lana it's me Clark" he stepped forward but her ring glowed and he had to step back.

"You're not Clark. You're the phantom Clark warned me about."

"No Lana he's the phantom. I'm the real Clark Kent. He's deceived you"

Lana laughed "You don't think I could recognise Clark when I see him. He's the man I love and he loves me"

Clark couldn't understand it. How could she not tell the difference or maybe she could and just didn't care. Then Lana hit him with a question he hadn't expected.

"If you're really Clark you would love me. Do you?"

"Yes I do love you Lana". He does love her. Not in the way he once did certainly but he does but a part of him probably always will love her.

"Your voice lacks passion" Lana remarks.

"What do you want me to say? You faked your death even though I could protect you from Lex. I grieved for you and I moved on"

"You're not Clark. Clark would never give up on me"

"Lana I saw your body. That's usually pretty decisive proof of someone dying. I can't read minds. You should not have deceived me like that" Clark says in reference to the clone Lana used to fake her death.

"So far you haven't said anything you couldn't have copied from Clark's mind. You see if you were Clark Chloe would have told you I was alive and you would have came and found me and you know what, Clark did. So therefore you can say nothing to prove you're Clark Kent because you're not. Clark Kent is inside resting. Clark Kent is going to marry me. He told me all about your weaknesses,..." Lana flashes her ring "so stay away from us or I'll destroy you myself" With that Lana marches off to her car and drives away leaving Clark to wonder what he will do about her.

* * *

"Clark" Buffy breaks him out of his musings.

"Yes. Sorry"

"You ok?"

Clark smiles "Yeah I'm fine"

He and Buffy walk into the lobby where Angel, Cordy, Lorne, Spike, Harmony, Gunn, Willow and Xander were already waiting.

"Right introductions first" Angel decides. "Lorne this is Willow and Xander and Clark. Guys this is Lorne" It's then Angel notices what Clark is wearing "Erm Clark what's with the glasses?"

Clark pinches the bridge of his nose "How about it's no-ones business but my own"

Spike laughed "He has you there peaches and you are in no position to criticise someone's dress sense since all you've been wearing for the last few hours is Cordelia"

Angel actually blushes.

"Oh come on" Xander complains. "It's bad enough I have images of Buffy and Clark in my head I don't need any new ones of Angel and Cordy"

"Well then they should have showered first" Harmony points out. "God their scents are all over each other"

Gunn shakes his head "Ok can we get off this subject for people who are currently single. By the way where's Illyria?"

"She's still in the basement" Angel tells everyone "I went to see her this morning. She still won't leave Wesley's body. We're going to have to figure out what to do with her as well but first things first Cordy had an epiphany"

"Whoa. Is that one of the signs of the apocalypse or something?" Xander jokes.

"Funny Xander" Cordy remarks. "No I came to a realisation that with the destruction of the Circle of the Black Thorn the Senior Partner's hold on this dimension has been weakened and it's time we took the offensive"

"I like that plan" Spike says. "We would be acting instead of reacting for a change"

"Exactly but we would need help as in greater numbers which is why you're here Buffy"

"Hmm. Oh you want me to leave some girls with you" Buffy realises

"Yes" Cordy answers

Buffy thinks it over "Well we could set up a cell in LA. We only avoided it because we didn't want to step on your toes"

"The problem there Buff is that our most experienced girls are elsewhere. We would be giving them the rookies" Xander tells her.

"Xander has a point" Willow says agreeing with him.

"Yeah he does. If we were to leave girls here you would have to train them Angel" Buffy informs them.

Oh Angel hadn't considered that possibility. Well he suppose he could.

"That's fine" Cordy answers for him.

"Whoa wait a minute Cordy" Angel says.

"What? You trained me, you can train them. What's the big problem?"

"Well nothing I guess. Ok I'll do it"

"We'll do it" Spike suddenly says and everyone looks at him. He looks at Buffy "Like you said don't wait and choose my own path"

"Great" Buffy says "Well Will will hook you up to the slayer network and once that's ready the girls will be teleported over. So moving on, what is this end of the world thing Lorne saw?"

Lorne steps forward "Well I was reading Cordelia and I saw a battle, the final battle between the demons and the forces of good so to speak"

"Ok when is this?" Buffy asks.

"I don't know. I did see Angel there and his hair was greying so take your pick. Probably this century some time, perhaps within the next 50 years but the fact I saw it gives us time to prepare"

"Prepare how?" Xander asks.

"By doing what we're already doing" Clark decides to say and everyone looks at him. "Buffy has set up those cells all across the world. Cordelia had said that the Senior Partners hold on this world had been weakened. We need to weaken it further and restore people's freedom of choice. Then it is just a matter of inspiring people to better themselves"

"So we have to change the whole world" Spike summarises "Oh that's going to be easy"

"It's why I'm here" Clark replies. "I've met the First. I was touched by its darkness. I will not allow it to do to this world what it did to mine"

"What did it do to your world?" Cordy asks

"Destroyed it. I am the last of my kind" Clark answers.

"And what kind is that?" Angel asks since Buffy wouldn't tell him earlier.

"It doesn't matter" Buffy interjects. "All that matters is Clark is on our side. Now is there anything else?"

Nobody says anything.

"Good. Now Clark and I have to discuss plan B for his problem"

Clark frowns in confusion "Plan B?" he asks Buffy.

"Trust me when I say Plan A never works. You always need a back-up plan or two and besides we're engaged now. That makes your enemies my enemies and vice-versa"

"Excuse me. What enemies?" Cordy asks.

"Oh Clark has an evil double" Xander informs them.

"Ok that's one" Cordy says.

"And some sort of artificial intelligence" Willow adds.

"A what?" Angel asks.

"A machine" Clark tells them. "A very advanced machine composed of a nano-molecular self-replicating crystalline compound that allows it to assume any shape it wants"

"And what can it do?" Angel asks.

"Anything I can when it's fully functional. It can imitate my abilities but it was damaged during my last battle with it so it's not at 100 percent"

"Ahh that's handy" Spike says. "So what does it look like at the moment?"

"You actually" Clark answers.

"What?"

"It looks like you if you were a bit older and had short brown hair"

"It stole my face!?" Spike asks outraged.

"I don't know how it chose it's appearance"

"It is so dead. How do I destroy it?" Spike asks.

Clark thinks for a moment "An enormous surge of energy would probably do it. It's a machine after all and like any machine if you stick enough current through it, it'll overload"

"Does this thing have a name?" Spike asks.

"Yes. It's called Brainiac, short for Brain Interactive Construct" Clark answers.

The meeting fizzled out after that and Buffy pulled Clark aside to discuss plan B and possibly a plan C. Lorne stands and watches them.

"What do you see?" Cordy asks him.

"He would need to sing for me to read him" Lorne says.

"You must get something"

"Beyond he's in love"

"I can tell that by the his gestures and the looks he gives Buffy not to mention I caught them making out in the kitchen. You can't get anything?"

Lorne shakes his head. "Sorry princess. He's too difficult to read. It's what happens when you have no predetermined destiny. It's as you said. It's in his own hands"

"Unless he sings"

Lorne nods.

"Wait here" Cordy says to Lorne and she walks over to Clark and Buffy.

"Can you sing?" Cordy asks Clark

"Badly. Why?" Clark answers.

"I'm interested. Come on sing a few notes. Please" Cordy pleads.

Clark looks at Buffy who just shrugs her shoulders. "Anything in particular?" Clark asks.

"Nah, your choice"

Clark isn't sure why he's agreeing to this but he chooses a song his mother use to sing to him when he was little.

"Wow you're good" Cordy says and he was really.

"Really?" Clark asks somewhat surprised.

Cordy nods "Yep. So I'll let you two get back to planning whatever your planning and we'll chat later" Cordy walks back off to Lorne.

"Was I good?" Clark asks Buffy to be greeted by a hungry stare.

"I am so hot for you right now" Buffy states. She like has the greatest fiancé ever. Super powers and a great singing voice. She grabs Clark's hand and drags him off up the stairs.

"I thought we were discussing battle plans." Clark says as he lets Buffy drag him off.

"The sun doesn't set for hours yet. We have time and besides you have a whole year to make up for. After all do you know how high a slayer's sex drive is. Cold showers are only effective for so long" Buffy tells him.

* * *

"So?" Cordy asks Lorne as soon as Clark and Buffy are out of sight. She then notices a tear in his eye.

"Oh god it's that bad?"

"No princess it's that good assuming he continues on his current path. He has the power to change it if he wishes but I don't think he will"

"What did you see?" Cordy asks now totally interested

"Our saviour"

"Huh?"

"The world is going to change and he is the one who will lead it assuming he survives tonight. His enemies are gathering. He's going to need our help"

"Wait that makes no sense. You see a great future but aren't sure he'll survive tonight"

"His enemies are like him. Beings from beyond this world. I saw both possible outcomes. I just like the saviour one better" Lorne explains.

"Right. Did you see where he's from?"

"A world of ice and snow and he wasn't lying. He is the only one left"

"You know that's not very helpful" Cordy remarks.

"That's all I can give you. A lot of what I saw didn't make sense to me. Just be glad he's on our side"

"Why?"

"Because you don't want a being with the powers of a god as your enemy" Lorne states.

"Oookaay then. Well I better go talk to Angel if we're going to be helping" and with that Cordy heads off to find Angel.

* * *

"So I was figuring we'd stay for Wesley's funeral and then Willow can teleport us to Metropolis" Buffy tells Clark as she rests her chin on his chest after the fun last few hours of love making.

"Ok. You sure you're up to this?" Clark asks concerned.

"Don't flatter yourself. I ain't that tired" Buffy tells him. She leans over and picks up the lead box and looks at the blue kryptonite. "I wonder what this does to you"

"I don't want to know. If it's like the green type the opposite of what it will do to the phantom"

"Yeah. You said it would overload his powers and his body would explode"

"So I was told but the source isn't reliable which is why I asked for your help"

"Which you've got. Hold it"

"What?"

Buffy takes the blue kryptonite out of it's box. "Fine don't hold it" She then places it on Clark's chest.

"Buffy!" Clark says alarmed.

"Nothing" Buffy remarks at the lack of any reaction from Clark.

"I think you're wrong. I feel weak, drained" Clark tells her.

Buffy rakes her nails across Clark's skin and is amazed when she manages to break it. She then puts the blue kryptonite back in the box and the wounds heal instantly. "How do you feel now?" she asks

"Normal again. Interesting. It's like it suppresses my abilities while I'm in contact with it"

"So you were like normal, normal. No super powers. It was like you were…"

"human" Clark finishes for her. "I felt like I did when Jor-El stripped me of my powers. I guess it was telling the truth"

"It?" Buffy asks

"Brainiac. I got the kryptonite from Brainiac"

"Why didn't you destroy it then?"

"Like I told you I needed it's help but it can't be trusted. Another reason I came asking for your help. I'm sure it's up to something but I don't know what"

"You know you have some interesting enemies" Buffy remarks.

"You have interesting friends" Clark remarks back.

"Yeah but so do you. Well actually do you?"

"I have a friend who's an actual Martian"

"A real life one?"

Clark nods "Yes"

"No way!"

"Yes way and oh there's Bart. He's faster than I am and Victor, he's a cyborg. Then there's AC who is… Not sure what AC is but he can swim faster than me"

"Wait that sounds familiar. Do they hang around in a group led by a guy with a fetish for green leather?"

"You know Oliver?" Clark asks totally surprised.

"Oh yeah we've met. He wanted to form a partnership since I lead an army of super strong girls. That was about 6 months ago. We declined"

"So did I actually. I was too busy at the time and I'm still too busy at the moment"

"Yeah well we declined for different reasons."

"Which were?"

"I would rather not say. We had a bit of an argument and I kinda hit him."

Clark laughs "Oh I am so sorry I missed that. I would love to have seen that. Oliver can be a bit obsessed with his mission at times even though his aims are noble"

"Noble aims get you killed. He needs to be a bit more realistic"

"Buffy you're engaged to a man who wants to change the world" Clark points out.

"True but I know you have the ability to do that"

Clark smiles and kisses Buffy "Thanks for the vote of confidence. So we should get back to planning for tonight you know"

Buffy sighs "Sure. Probably the best idea is to just ask Angel and the gang for help. Super strong help is always handy and they at least can help distract your double while Willow does her mojo"

"That means getting up doesn't it?" Clark asks with disappointment.

"Fraid so but rest assured once we've defeated your foes you are still making up for this last year"

Clark smirks "Is that a threat or a promise?"

Buffy kisses Clark "Both"

* * *

They get up and dressed and head downstairs and find Cordy and Angel making out in his office. Buffy coughs loudly.

Angel and Cordy break apart. "Hey Buffy" Angel says blushing slightly.

Buffy with a mildly amused look on her face "Well payback's a bitch ain't it"

Cordy not amused "Oh please at least we're in an office and not in the kitchen like you two"

"You two were at this in the kitchen?" Angel asks

Buffy shrugs "Is it my fault I find Clark sexy? I think not but lets talk. I want to ask for your help"

"With Clark's enemies I assume" Cordy says

"If you don't mind" Clark adds.

"We don't mind do we honey? I knew you would need help" Cordy says.

"You did?" Clark asks

"Yeah Lorne saw it when I got you to sing" Cordy admits

"That was that was about!" Buffy says exasperated. "You were getting a reading on my fiancé?"

"Reading?" Clark asks

Angels nods "Yes. Lorne can read people's futures when they sing. Apparently you have two possible ones. You either survive tonight or you die"

"He's going to live" Buffy states.

"Of course he is" Cordy says.

Clark hates all this stuff. He still believes the future is what you want to make it. "So you come and help in case Brainiac can't be trusted. What am I saying? He can't be trusted"

"Yet that blue kryptonite stuff seems to work. What is that about?" Buffy asks.

Clark thinks it over "He's probably playing us. He does that. He's probably hoping my double and I destroy each other but he doesn't know about any of you"

"Which gives us the advantage" Angel realises.

At this point Gunn walks in "That's the sun setting" he informs them

Angel gets out of his chair "It's time then. I'll go get Illyria"

"Think she'll help us?" Buffy asks.

Angel shakes his head "I have no idea. You better stick around Clark because after we bury Wesley I have no idea how we will control her. We might need you to restrain her considering how powerful she is"

"It won't come to that" Cordy says trying to reassure herself as well as Angel.

"We'll find out" Angel says as he heads for the basement and Illyria.


	18. Part 2 Chapter 9

As Angel reached the basement he found Illyria had not moved from where he had seen her last. "It's time" he says to her.

Illyria turns to look at Angel. She feels... She is feeling emotions she shouldn't. This shell has contaminated, changed her. Perhaps this funeral will bring an end to this but what if it doesn't?

"Illyria?" Angel asks.

"How did you cope when your soul was restored?" she asks.

Angel hadn't really expected that question from her. "It took time. I nearly went insane with the guilt. For a hundred years I wallowed in it till one day I saw someone and decided that wasn't what I wanted anymore. I wanted to help, make a difference in the world"

"I have these feelings. I don't know how to deal with them"

Angel sighs. It seems Willow was right about Illyria having a soul. "It takes time as well but, and I can't believe I'm encouraging you to do this, Fred had feelings. Can't you use her memories to help you?"

"You know that's a good idea" a feminine voice with a Texan accent suddenly says.

Illyria looks at the source of the voice and standing there behind Angel is Winifred Burkle. "You are dead"

"Oh no I'm part of you. You should have thought of that before you consumed me"

Fred walks round Angel and over to Wesley's body. "Oh poor Wesley but what do you care Old One. You have no feelings of your own just the ones you have stolen from me"

Illyria tilts her head. Strange since this aberration appeared her thoughts are clearer, not overwhelmed by emotion. "Feelings were an irrelevance when I ruled"

Fred laughs. "You don't rule anything anymore and upstairs is a being who could destroy you with a single look. How the mighty have fallen?" Fred mocks.

Illyria knew which being the Burkle meant. The strange man who had brought the Slayer. He was her superior now. It was humbling? Is that the term?

"Yes humbling is the term" Fred says reading Illyria's thoughts.

"What do you want of me?"

"Well my life back would be nice" Fred says.

"I cannot undo what has been done" Illyria tells her.

Angel watches Illyria talk to nothing. He went through this. Talking to ghosts. The question here is, is she hallucinating or is some other power doing this. "Illyria. Who are you talking to?"

"The Burkle" is her simple reply.

Ok that doesn't actually clear it up for Angel.

Fred by now is now standing in front of Illyria looking into her blue eyes. "So what do we do now?" she asks. "I could haunt you forever. That might be fun or you could realise you have been changed and accept what you now are"

"What am I?" Illyria asks.

"You know the fact you are actually asking that is a good start" Fred informs Illyria. "You fight me, push me down trying to purge me from your being but you're stuck with me so it's time to stop fighting"

"I am a warrior" Illyria states simply in reply.

"Illyria. There is no-one there" Angels says.

Illyria ignores him and continues to look at Fred. Fred smiles at her. "Go on have the funeral. We'll talk later" and then Fred vanishes.

As soon as Fred leaves Illyria is assaulted by grief once more. She is confused by this turn of events. The Burkle should have been consumed by her resurrection yet she seemed to still be within her. Her gaze is drawn back to Wesley. The Burkle's love and Illyria can feel that love. It is all so wrong, not how it is meant to be at all. Yes she and the Burkle would indeed have to have a talk later. Illyria picks Wesley up and turns back to face Angel. "I am ready. Proceed"

Angel eyes Illyria warily. He fears that she is seriously losing it. She was talking to Fred? Angel questions whether he can help her but first things first. Wesley's funeral. "Right. Follow me to the garden then" he tells Illyria. With that he walks slowly to the stairs making sure Illyria is actually following him which she is. He has a feeling this is going to be a long night.

The ceremony for Wesley is relatively simple. The grave was already dug, next to Cordy's. Angel still didn't know what to do about that. He had completely forgotten to ask Cordy about it. They had gotten too caught up in each other. Maybe after this and Clark's enemies are dealt with he and Cordy can have a talk about it. Angel himself says a few words for Wesley about how brave he was and how he sacrificed himself for the greater good. Didn't seem enough somehow.

Cordy was incredibly uncomfortable out here next to her grave. Was her body in there or not? Did she want to know? She couldn't answer that at least not right now. Wesley was gone and she actually lacked words for once to say anything about it. This was the first time she had seen Illyria and it was actually creepy. Course that could be the feeling she was getting off her newly acquired slayer senses. God how did Buffy put up with it? Illyria was making her skin crawl. Spike and Harmony were nowhere near this creepy to her.

Xander and Willow stood off to the side with the couple of slayers that had stayed on and Buffy and Clark. True they hadn't exactly been Wesley fans but it was still sad. Buffy wasn't sure what she should be feeling. Wesley, pain in the ass, by the book Watcher had actually turned into a half decent person by the end. Of course that was nothing to do with her. If anything it had been Angel who had done it. She squeezes Clark's hand that she is holding. Of course for Clark to even notice it takes about all her strength but truth be told she liked she could relax around him and not hold back for fear of hurting him. Of course the same could not be said of Clark. She knew he always held back and she could understand it. It was why they were such a good pair.

Clark felt Buffy squeeze his hand. He stayed for this for her. He didn't know this guy but he felt sorrow for the loss. He listened as Angel spoke a few words but no-one else seemed to want to or perhaps simply couldn't think of what to say. Once Angel had spoken the two slayers started to fill in the grave and the rest of them started to wander back into the hotel.

Gunn sighs as he walks into the lobby. Another friend dead and buried and tonight's fun had barely even started. "You alright Charley boy?" Spike asks.

"Considering the fatal wounds and blood loss I suffered I think I'm doing ok" Gunn answers.

Angel is watching Illyria who now stands n the lobby of the hotel simply looking around at the surroundings. "Illyria. We're leaving soon. Do you wish to come?"

Illyria tilts her head at Angel "Come where?"

"Our new friend Clark has some enemies that need to be dealt with and we're going to help"

Illyria was confused at why such a powerful being would need help. "He cannot deal with them himself?"

"They are powerful and know his weaknesses" Angel tells her.

Illyria considers this for a moment. The Burkle had not reappeared to talk to her and her grief still left her with a need to do more violence and the pathetic warriors she had fought earlier had left her unsatisfied. Perhaps these beings would be more worthy of fighting her "I will make trophies of their spines"

Clark had overheard that and felt slightly nauseous "A simple yes would have sufficed and one of them doesn't actually have a spine"

"Yeah the machine that stole my face. How do we destroy him?" Spike asks. "You left out details before"

Truthfully Clark hadn't quite worked out how to destroy Brainiac. Perhaps restrain him and take him to the Fortress. Jor-El might know of a way to deal with him. "There might be a way. Have to restrain him first"

Buffy stands on her toes and kisses Clark's cheek "We'll think of a way" She turns to Willow "Right Will you start on that teleport spell and once the girls get back from the garden we'll get going"

"I'll stay here" Lorne says. "I have had my fill of violence"

"And I'll stay and look after him" Harmony says. "Oh and Spike we're still going to have that fight assuming you survive of course" Harmony adds.

Spike rolls his eyes. That's almost a good reason not to survive.

"And I'll stay and make sure Harmony doesn't betray us to the forces of darkness again" Gunn adds. He's really not feeling up to another battle right now.

* * *

Now that Clark rethinks this idea he's pretty sure it's not his best one ever. Saying that it is sort of his first attempt at a plan. Before his training he had a bad habit of just rushing into things which usually ended up with him exposed to kryptonite of one sort or another. So here he is standing outside where he thinks his bizarre double is, right in front of the security camera he had noticed when he visited earlier. He had made a quick stop home to change out of his suit. He didn't want that ruined and he had missed his blue t-shirt and red jacket but back to his current problem. Why is he the bait again? Clark shakes his head. It's his own plan and he made himself the bait. What was he thinking? After a few minutes of standing here he decides to try something else. "I know you're here and I know Lana probably told you she saw me so why don't you come outside and we'll settle this once and for all" Clark speaks to the camera.

The door opens and the Phantom walks out. "Well, well, well, the great hero returns. Thought you were dead"

"Thought or hoped?" Clark replies.

The phantom smirks "You're no longer needed Clark. I'm doing a better job of your life than you ever did"

"Really? I'm not the one who has to hide during the day"

"That is only temporary I assure you and besides Lana and I find many ways to pass the time. For a human she really is something. Too bad you'll never know"

"Nor do I care to anymore but I won't let you use her"

The phantom laughs "I'm not using her. We love each other"

"You don't know what love is. All you know of love is what you stole from me" Clark says to his double.

The Phantom shrugs. Did it care either way? Not really as long as it had Lana and it finally killed Clark. "You know I thought you had learned from our last meeting but it seems you have gotten stupider. There's no sun to recharge you this time"

"But then Kal-El has never been very bright" a voice from the shadows says. A figure moves out into the light from the nearby street light.

"Brainiac" Clark says with actually surprisingly little surprise. After all he knew that that machine couldn't be trusted.

Brainiac smirks "You see your double and I have formed a little alliance. He needed my intellect to help with a little project he envisioned because he decided he couldn't rely on kryptonite alone"

As Brainiac says this about a couple dozen men in soldier uniforms appear. They remind him of the 33.1 project Lex was working on.

As if reading his thoughts the Phantom speaks "Yes they are Lex's little tin soldiers. When I escaped I found about a couple dozen of them that Lex had forgotten to clean up but I lacked the knowledge to make them operational"

"Which is where I came in" Brainiac says. "My knowledge and some DNA extracted from your double and we get mindless warriors who obey without question. You were a fool to come alone Kal-El. Even you don't have the power to defeat this many"

Both the Phantom and Brainiac are surprised when Clark's face adopts a smirk of its own. "Who said I came alone? Willow now!"

Suddenly the Phantom is hit by a stream of sunlight and it's skin turns to stone. It drops to its knees. When it looks up it sees Clark next to a group of 9 people it had never seen before.

Spike stares at Brainiac. "You stole my face. You are so dead"

Brainiac was surprisingly calm looking at this turn of events. "We still outnumber you"

"Numbers alone never win a battle" a voice off to the left says and everyone looks to see Oliver, AC, Victor, Bart and who Clark assumes is this Black Canary.

Buffy groans loudly at this.

Oliver hones in on the groan and spots Buffy. He can still remember the bruise she gave him after their last meeting "Clark you need to make a better choice in friends"

Clark grabs Buffy's arm to stop her going postal on Oliver. "Can we discuss this after we have stopped the super soldiers?" Clark asks.

By now the Phantom is back standing up. "Or after you're dead. Destroy them!" it commands the soldiers.

Oliver fires an explosive arrow at one knocking the soldier off its feet. "That's not enough to stop it. Cyborg, Impulse, Aquaman go"

The 3 of them begin to fight the soldiers.

"Ok what the hell are these things?" Buffy asks

"That would take too long to explain but I think all you need to know is that they're not really alive, not anymore anyway"

Buffy gets a smile on her face and tightens her grip on her scythe which she remembered to bring this time. One of the soldiers moves on her and it takes all her slayer strength and speed to avoid the blow and then swing round and knock the soldier down with a kick. "Ow. That's almost like hitting you" she says to Clark.

Clark catches the fist of one as it tries to hit him "I know, believe me I know" he says as it takes a great deal of his own strength to hold the soldier at bay before swinging it through the air but this is a distraction from the Phantom and where the heck is Lana? "Willow, Xander could you find Lana? Try inside"

Willow and Xander and nod and weave their way through the fight that is erupting. Clark eyes the Phantom and at superspeed charges forward and tackles it while Buffy finds her scythe works quite well on these super soldiers even though it seems they can take quite a pounding before they stay down.

Angel and Cordy are fighting side by side "Ow these things are made of granite or something" Cordy moans as she punches one. Angel says nothing but totally agrees. These soldiers are very strong and fast. At least he's going to find out what limits this new him has now.

Spike has managed to get himself a one on one with Brainiac. "I am going to beat you to a million little pieces" Spike tells it.

"You don't have the strength or the intellect vampire" At the slight surprise on Spike's face Brainiac elaborates. "Oh yes I know what you are. I know more than you can possibly imagine. All the knowledge of a great civilisation resides within me"

Spike vamps out "Let us see how good you are then" he says as he attacks Brainiac.

Illyria finds the soldier who attacks her close to her strength and speed. A much more worthy opponent for one such as herself. As she battles it she is sure for a moment she sees the Burkle in the corner of her vision but ignores it for now needing to concentrate on her opponent

* * *

Inside the building Willow and Xander are searching for Lana. "Ok why is this place built like a labyrinth?" Xander asks.

"To entrap intruders" a male voice says making Willow and Xander jump.

"Don't do that!" Xander shouts. "And who the hell are you?"

"A friend of Kal-El like you are" J'onn says as phases through the floor to stand next to Willow and Xander.

Willow frowns at him. "Are you seriously trying to read my mind because I recommend against trying that" she says at the feeling of him pushing at the edge of her mind.

"I apologise. It has been some time since I have met another telepath. My control is not what it once was"

"Alright then" Willow says. "So where is Lana?"

The sound of a gun cocking answers that question. All 3 focus on Lana pointing a gun at them.

"You seriously want to put that down" Willow says, her anger barely in check. She hates guns.

"I'll do what I have to, to protect Clark" Lana says.

"Except he is not Clark" J'onn says to Lana. "The Phantom has deceived you. Surely you must know this by how he avoids the sunlight"

The man has a point it suddenly occurs to Lana. No. She knows Clark and the man she has spent the last 6 months with is Clark. "You lie."

"Alright I am done with this" Willow states but before she can do anything Clark and the Phantom crash through into the building knocking everyone off their feet.

The Phantom and Clark get to their feet, staring at each other. "I have to say you've improved" the Phantom says to Clark "But not enough"

"I beat you last time in case you have forgotten" Clark says.

"No I have not but that was your home and this is mine" the Phantom says as he flips a switch on the wall next to him and the room they are in is flooded by a green glow. Clark instantly groans in pain and falls to his knees while the Phantom bathes in the radiation recharging. Once done it walks forward towards the weakened Clark and picks him up with one hand by the throat and squeezes.

"Put him down" J'onn commands.

The Phantom turns its head to look at J'onn and smirks. "You think you can stop me Martian. You are welcome to try" The Phantom tosses Clark aside and flies at J'onn head on.

Meanwhile Buffy has slayed the soldier that was attacking her and is looking around for Clark. Somehow much to her horror she finds herself next to Oliver. "So what brings you here?" Buffy asks.

"A friend told us about Clark's double and we decided to help" Oliver responds.

"Yeah that's great and all but where is Clark?" Buffy asks.

"He and his double crashed through the wall and went inside" Oliver tells her.

"Thanks and by the way you're still a bunch of amateurs" Buffy says as she heads off inside.

"She's still as charming as ever I see" Dinah aka Black Canary says to Oliver.

"Tell me about it and duck" Oliver tells her as he fires an arrow over her head into another soldier. Once the arrow hits Oliver checks up on the others. He can see Bart zipping about and Victor and AC have the physical strength to match the soldiers. He had thought he had destroyed these abominations after he had destroyed all Lex's 33.1 labs. Guess he missed a few. Of course he and Clark are definitely going to have a chat about what his relationship with Buffy and the slayers is after this situation is dealt with.

Buffy follows the large holes in the interior of the building towards a sickly green glow and a stricken Clark on the floor. "Clark!"

Before she gets there she sees Clark's double fighting a guy up in the rafters and standing between her and Clark a girl with black hair.

Lana snorts at the blonde girl "So he has you fooled too. I hate to break it to you that is not Clark"

Buffy's eyes narrow. "I'm guessing you're Lana from the utter stupidity you just spouted and oh that is Clark. Trust me I know."

Lana has had enough of this and throws a punch which Buffy easily avoids and grabs and then proceeds to flip Lana over. "Newsflash for you. I'm a Slayer which means I have way more strength than you ever will." Buffy then sees she has hold of Lana's left hand with the glowing green engagement ring on it. She wrenches it off of Lana's hand and throws it away. She grabs Lana's shirt in her fist and pulls Lana's face close to her own. "Second newsflash. The only woman Clark is engaged to is me." She then punches Lana in the face knocking her out.

"Buff!" Xander shouts as he and Willow make their way over to her.

"Help me get Clark outside" she tells them.

Then she and Xander each take an arm and lift Clark to his feet but as they try to leave two things happen in quick succession. One the guy the Phantom is fighting lands in front of them in a heap and they too are knocked away from Clark. Buffy quickly flips herself back up to find Clark in the Phantom's grasp, it's arm around his neck.

The Phantom looks the blonde girl over. "I heard what you said. I didn't know Clark's taste in women was that good"

Buffy's skin crawls at being checked out by the Phantom but maybe she can use this. "Well if you let him go maybe I can show you just how good I am"

The Phantom smirks and looks like it is thinking it over. "I have a better idea. I kill Clark and then I show you how good I am." It reaches over to the nearby wall and punches a hole in it and pulls out a dagger made of kryptonite and then stabs Clark in the back.

Buffy watches with horror as Clark collapses to the floor spitting up blood but she can't do anything as in the blink of an eye she finds herself in the Phantom's grasp and worse with its mouth pressed down over hers. In a word; Gross.


	19. Part 2 Chapter 10

The Phantom is kissing her and Buffy has a serious urge to throw up right about now but instead she fishes around in her pocket for the lead box with the blue kryptonite. She finally finds it and manages to flip it open but before she can place the rock on the Phantom's skin it grabs her wrist and pulls it up with the rock still in her hand.

"Now what is this?" the Phantom asks as he examines the blue rock.

"Ask your so called ally" Buffy answers back. "He said it could destroy you" she tells it.

"Did he." The Phantom's tone remains very neutral. "I knew he would do something like this." The Phantom squeezes and Buffy drops the rock which falls to the floor.

"Now what to do with you?" the Phantom asks her mildly amused. It can sense the girl is quite strong. There are so many possibilities.

"You can let her go" Willow says.

The Phantom is about to turn around when a ray of sunlight pours forth from Willow's hand. Buffy can feel it weaken and knees it in the groin causing it to release her. She rolls forward and grabs the blue kryptonite.

The Phantom spins round "You are going to pay for that" it tells Buffy.

"Like I haven't heard that before" Buffy says. "Oh by the way look behind you"

The Phantom isn't falling for that. Of course unfortunately for it Xander is standing behind it with Buffy's scythe which she had dropped when the Phantom first knocked them down. He plunges it into the Phantom's back and it's magical blade slices through the Phantom's skin. It falls to its knees in pain while Buffy walks forward and stands over it. "This time you won't come back" she tells it and she takes the blue kryptonite and thrusts it into the Phantom's hand. The Phantom screams in pain and Buffy watches as it literally starts to fall apart. "Everyone take cover" she yells.

Xander, Willow and Buffy dive out of the way just as the Phantom explodes. Buffy picks herself up and notices a blue shard in her palm. She pulls it out and it is a tiny piece of blue kryptonite which she assumes broke off when she dropped it. She puts it in her pocket and runs over to Clark. He is lying face down, pale and barely breathing with the kryptonite still embedded in his back.

"You must pull out the kryptonite" J'onn says in a weak voice as he gets back to his feet.

Buffy takes the piece in her hand and pulls. Clark screams in pain as the dagger is withdrawn and then he falls unconscious. "Xander help me" Buffy says and Xander helps her pick Clark up.

"God how much does he weigh?" Xander asks as he struggles slightly to lift Clark's weight.

"It is due to his dense molecular structure but that is a discussion for another time. We must get him away from all the kryptonite" J'onn says.

Buffy and Xander make their way out of the building with Clark.

"What about her?" Willow asks pointing at Lana.

J'onn bends down and picks Lana up "We can't leave her here. We will just have to deal with her the best we can after she has woken up"

Willow sighs as she retrieves Buffy's scythe from the ground. "It's a shame really. She's kinda cute and if I didn't already have a girlfriend I might give her a shoulder to cry on" Willow comments.

J'onn eyes Willow "Have you told Kal-El who your girlfriend is yet?"

Willow was flabbergasted "How did you…" then she remembered this man's telepathy. "Keep out of my head!" she demands.

"I was not in your head as you put it. As soon as you said girlfriend you projected the image outward in all directions and I merely picked it up."

Willow's cheeks heat up "Please don't say anything. We will tell them when we're ready"

J'onn says nothing more as they too make their way out.

Meanwhile outside the gang have defeated the super soldiers but not without cost. One of the two slayers is dead and Bart is out with a concussion. Cordy is holding Angel up. "Are you ok?" she asks.

"I think my ribs are broken. Those guys hit hard. How are you?"

Cordy has a cut in her head "I'll live I think. Slayers have accelerated healing right"

"Yeah they do" Angel says as Cordy lowers him down against a wall and he groans in pain.

Illyria approaches them limping. "Are you ok?" Angel asks her.

"I was ambushed by two others while I fought one but they were defeated when I snapped their necks. It was a most satisfying noise but I will need a knife to remove their spines with"

"You know that is gross" Fred says to her as she reappears.

Illyria eyes her but says nothing as she too lowers herself to the ground so her injuries can heal. Fred sits next to her cross legged "Well congratulations you survived. Guess that gives us lots of time to resolve stuff but I'll be generous and let you heal up first. You know I'm far too nice to you considering you're my murderer"

"The strong survive and the weak perish" Illyria finally says.

Fred smiles "Ah but which are you?"

Cordy looks at Angel "She's talking to herself"

"I know. She was doing that earlier. I think Willow is right that she does have a soul now. When I got mine back I heard voices for a long time. It takes time to get to grips with having a conscious again."

"Did she ever have one to begin with?" Cordy asks

"Can't answer that I'm afraid" Angel answers.

Cordy nods and groans at doing that due to the pain running through her head. "Where's Spike?" she asks realising they had lost sight of him.

"I don't know I lost sight of him" Angel answers.

"He is dead" Illyria states.

Angel and Cordy look at her. "What!?" they say together.

"I saw it happen. The machine that mimics a living being killed him"

"How?" Angel asks

"Yes go on tell them how" Fred encourages Illyria while still sitting there

Illyria tilts her head and looks at Fred before turning back to Angel and Cordy. "I only caught glimpses while I too engaged in battle but I will tell you what I can"

* * *

Flashback

Spike starts by charging at his double which he notices is more interested in deflecting his attacks rather than attacking him. What had that Clark guy said about it being damaged. It seems he was right. However his next attack ends up with him somehow on his back as Brainiac suddenly moves at incredible speed but there is no follow up. Spike flips himself back up and notices Brainiac looks well tired would be the closest term or drained maybe. When Spike attacks this time he manages to land some blows on it knocking it down.

Hitting Brainiac hurts Spike notices but he can see damage on it. Patches of skin are gone and he can see what looks like a black crystal like material. "Ready to give up. That Clark guy says he had some place up north for you"

Brainiac gets back to its feet "Kal-El will not destroy me. He is too sentimental, too emotional, too much like these pathetic humans that he loves so much"

"Yeah we all do some dumb things for love" Spike answers in reference to getting his soul back.

"Why do you help him? Vampires lack what humans call a conscious. You have no reason to help him"

"I'm not helping him. I'm helping her" Spike answers before attacking Brainiac again. After another exchange Spike knocks Brainiac down to the ground once more even more damaged than before. His face reverts to normal. "Time to go and I am so going to enjoy watching you die. No-one steals my face"

Brainiac laughs and Spike picks it up "What's so funny?"

"That you think you can stop me. I know your weaknesses vampire, like fire" Brainiac draws on what power it has and its eyes glow and a second later it is falling to the ground as dust falls over it. It looks around and can see that its soldiers are losing this battle. It needs to go, repair itself and prepare for the inevitable day it finally destroys Kal-El. It struggles to its feet and wanders off into the shadows.

* * *

"I watched it as long as I could but it was at that point I was ambushed" Illyria explains as she finishes her story.

Angel was rather shocked. Spike was gone and it seemed this time he wouldn't be coming back and as he turned his head to see Clark getting carried out by Buffy and Xander he could see from the look on Buffy's face that perhaps Spike wouldn't be the only one dying tonight.

Buffy and Xander lowered Clark to the ground. Buffy knelt over him and listened to his heart. It was still beating; just. "Clark. You need to wake up now" she says in a tearful voice. She takes his hand and is shocked at how cold it is and his breathing is shallow and she just doesn't know how to help him.

J'onn and Willow walks out and he places Lana on the ground. "He needs sunlight" J'onn says in regard to Clark.

Sunlight? "Will can you do that sunlight trick again?" Buffy asks.

"I can try. I am kinda drained but I will try" Willow says as she summons up the strength. A beam of sunlight falls on Clark but after a few seconds it stops and Willow near collapses to the ground. "I'm sorry Buffy it's all I've got"

Buffy turns back to Clark and feels his forehead. He actually feels a bit warmer. Then slowly his eyes open. "What did I miss?" he says in a croaky voice.

Buffy kisses him repeatedly.

Not that Clark minds Buffy kisses but her grip feels like a vice considering the state he is in. God he can't believe how much pain he is in. He's surprised he had actually forgotten how much it hurts when Kryptonite gets in his system. "Buffy, gently please"

Buffy stops her tirade of kisses "Oh god I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"

"Yes but it's alright. Pain is good. Lets me know I'm still alive" he tries to sit up but the pain shooting through the wound on his back soon ends that.

Buffy rolls him to the side so she can look at his wound and can see until he can get proper sunlight that his injury will need to be dressed. "He needs first aid" she states.

"He's not the only one" Oliver tells her. "And I'm sorry but one of the girls was killed"

Buffy looks around and sees the body on the ground. Another one. Another one of her girls that has died in the cause. She holds back the tears. She can't do this. Not here, not now. Clark needs her to be strong. "We need to go someplace…" she trails off not sure how to finish that.

"I have a place" Oliver tells her and Buffy nods and sets about picking Clark up once again.

Clark groans at the pain "Are you alright?" he asks Buffy.

"Me sure. I'm always alright" Buffy says.

Clark isn't buying that but they can talk later. He can see the odd cut in her face but he's not sure how that happened "You have cuts on your face"

"Yeah I know. I think your double did it when he knocked me over the first or the second time. Who knows but I've lived through much worse. I was shot once you know"

Clark laughs in spite of the pain "So was I. In fact I can think of two occasions in which I have been shot. I died the second time you know"

"Really?" Buffy asks in mock surprise already knowing that. "Which way Leather fetish man?" Buffy asks of Oliver.

Oliver rolls his eyes "You know Green Arrow is just fine. I'll even accept Oliver"

"Uh-huh. Which way?"

Oliver points "That way"

"Wait" Clark says "What about Lana?"

"Oh I had to knock her out" Buffy tells him.

"Was that necessary?" Clark asks.

"She pointed a gun at us" Willow protests. "So I'm thinking yeah it was necessary"

"She is fine Kal-El" J'onn tells him "But she is convinced that the Phantom was you so when she awakens to find it destroyed…"

"She'll be pissed" Xander puts it bluntly.

Clark sighs causing him more pain. "What do we do with her?"

"Leave that to me" Oliver says. "It is the kind of thing I'm good at. Aquaman show them to the tower and have them patched up." Oliver walks over to Cyborg who has Bart "How is he?"

"A concussion but you know how fast he heals so he should be fine" Victor answers.

Oliver then picks up Lana. "I'll take her to her other apartment and leave her there"

"Right" Clark says. Oh you couldn't do me a favour and remove all the kryptonite could you?"

"It's already taken care of. I had the place searched this afternoon and I'll have this placed stripped by sunrise" Oliver taps on his earpiece "Green Arrow to WatchTower. The building is clear send them in and prepare the infirmary we have injured"

"You see its handy being in a team" Oliver says to both Clark and Buffy before he walks off with Lana. Now where did Dinah disappear to he thinks to himself. He knows she was alright. She can't keep doing this disappearing act now she's part of the team. He'll have to have a word with her later but first things first, he'll get Lana home.

If Buffy wasn't holding Clark up she would slap Oliver for that team comment.

"You know you'll have to tell me what happened between the two of you" Clark says to Buffy at the look on her face.

"It involved childish name calling" Xander answers for Buffy.

"Xander leave it" Buffy warns him. "Can we go now?"

"Right then follow me" AC says. As they walk off they come across Angel, Cordy and Illyria sitting on the ground.

"Are you guys alright?" Xander asks.

"We'll live" Cordy replies as she helps Angel up. "The champ here has some broken ribs though"

Angel gets up "Buffy. Spike is gone" he tells her.

"Gone?"

"Dead" Illyria states as she gets to her feet.

Buffy feels like a knife has stabbed her in the chest but she won't show it. Clark still needs her. She'll just have to deal with this later as well.

"Brainiac?" Clark asks

"Escaped" Illyria once more simply states.

"We'll find him once you're well" Buffy tells Clark. "By the way where did that other guy go?" Buffy asks in reference to J'onn who has vanished.

"Out of the atmosphere. He heals faster outside of Earth's atmosphere" Clark tells her.

Buffy is confused by that.

"J'onn is the Martian I mentioned and no he doesn't really look like that. He can alter his appearance" Clark elaborates.

"You are filling me in later mister" Buffy tells him. "Once you're well. Now let me carry your weight"

"You may regret that" Clark responds as he does just that and Buffy groans a little under Clark's true weight.

"You need a diet" Buffy tells Clark.

"I warned you. Dense molecular structure" Clark replies while feeling decidedly light headed.

"Clark. Stay awake" Buffy warns him as she notices he looks like he could pass out any second.

"I'm here. I'm not leaving you. Never leaving you" Clark replies.

Buffy smiles at that "Till death us do part huh?"

"Yeah we'll have to get around to doing that sometime" Clark comments through his light headiness.

"Oh enough already" Cordy says irritated. "Can we go somewhere where I can get an aspirin?"

Buffy snorts "You're a slayer now Cordy. It takes a whole bottle to get the relief you're thinking of"

"Why wasn't I told about this?" Cordy asks

"Sorry. There ain't a manual for being a slayer" Buffy informs her.

By now Bart has woken up "Oh what happened?" He looks up and sees a few gorgeous women "Whoa I've died and gone to heaven"

"Don't get ahead of yourself" Victor tells him as he puts him down. "I'm pretty sure that one is with Clark" referring to Buffy.

"And I'm gay and have a girlfriend" Willow says.

Bart shakes his head "Why are the pretty ones always gay?" He then spots Illyria "Who's the chick with the blue hair?"

"Don't know but she could kick your butt. She's pretty strong" Victor tells him having seen Illyria fight.

"Uh-huh and the other one" in reference to the other slayer.

"The same" Victor tells Bart.

"And gay as well but she's shy" Willow adds.

"Could we run through everyone's sexual orientation after we get back home?" AC asks anxious to leave this place.

"Yes!" Cordy exclaims

Bart finally notices her and zips next to Cordy "Hi. I go by Impulse"

"And I go by I've already got someone so you don't stand a snowball's chance in hell" Cordy replies which gets a big laugh from AC

"Oh that's a good one. Serves you right for all the fish jokes dude" AC tells Bart.

"Can we please go now?" Cordy asks getting more irritated by the second.

"Yes right this way" AC says as the group make their way over to the tower.

* * *

Lana wakes up in her bed in her apartment and shoots up trying to figure out what happened.

"You're safe" Oliver tells her with his distorted voice.

Lana turns to look at him. "You're that Green Arrow"

"Ah I see my reputation proceeds me"

"Where's Clark?"

"Clark is fine but if you mean that poor imitation that had you fooled it's dead"

"No! That was Clark. The real Clark"

Oliver didn't know whether to feel sorry for her or dismayed at how obtuse she was. "It wasn't but I can't make you believe me. I think you know deep down the real truth of the matter"

"I loved him" Lana says.

"You loved something that doesn't really exist. You loved an idea of Clark that doesn't exist in reality either. You have been horribly deceived by that person you say you loved. All I can say is that the pain eases in time. Take care of yourself Ms Lang" Oliver says as he disappears out the window leaving Lana to collapse back on to her bed in tears in loss and confusion.


	20. Part 2 Chapter 11

Harmony was sitting in Angel's office drinking some blood bored out of her mind really. Lorne and Gunn had gone, actually she isn't sure where exactly but away from her. What is wrong with her? Ok she's a soulless monster but she's trying to fix that bit and then she'll be special again. She would let out a sigh if she still breathed. How long does it take to fight these enemies? She wants Spike to come back so she can beat him and then she'll face these trials and get her soul back and wow this seems like a lot of hard work now she thinks about it.

"Harmony"

Harmony looks up at the voice and standing across the desk from her is Spike. "Spike? Why can't I smell you?"

"Dead I'm afraid luv" Spike answers back.

"I already knew that" Harmony says back

Spike walks through the desk "No really dead this time but the Powers that Be sent me here to offer you something"

"You're really dead this time?" Harmony says with surprising sadness.

"Yeah but I'm not suppose to be but the thing that killed me isn't of this world so it has managed to screw things up a bit"

"Ok. So what do the great powers have to offer me?"

"For you to take my place. A vampire with a soul is still needed. Apparently there's some fine print on that Shanshu thing. They rewarded Angel to give him hope. He had given up caring about the future but that final battle Lorne mentioned needs the vampire with the soul"

"Ok I'm not sure that's what Cordy said they told her"

Spike shrugs. "They don't tell the whole truth only what is needed to get what they want and these are the good guys. I think that tells you something about just how screwed up everything is."

"Ok but I don't have a soul" Harmony reminds Spike.

"Do you still want one?"

"Yeah I guess. I mean I know I'm evil and all but I never felt quite right about that whole betraying Angel thing and I do want to help Cordy with this fight against the Senior Partners. I shouldn't though should I? I shouldn't care at all. What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing Harmony. Its started"

Harmony is very confused. "What has started?"

Spike says nothing but his form dissolves into a ball of white energy which flies into Harmony causing her to scream in pain.

Gunn and Lorne hear Harmony's screams and rush into the office to find her huddled in the corner.

"Harmony?" Gunn asks. As he nears her he can see she is crying.

"Oh god…I killed them and tortured them…I can hear their screams…they won't leave me alone" Harmony puts her hands over her ears. "tell them to leave me alone…I can't take it…I'm sorry"

Gunn looks back at Lorne who has a strange expression on his face "What?"

"It's impossible" Lorne answers.

"What is? What has happened to her?"

"She's has her soul back. She's experiencing guilt for all the evil she has committed"

"So what do we do?" Gunn asks Lorne.

Lorne kneels down beside Harmony "Harmony. It's Lorne. I know it hurts but look at me please"

Harmony's eyes turn to him "Their screams" she mutters out.

"I know. Let us help you. Will you let us do that?"

Harmony nods.

"Help me get her to a room" Lorne tells Gunn.

Gunn bends down and helps Lorne pick Harmony up and carry her upstairs to a room. They lay her down on a bed and she curls up under the sheets sobbing.

"She looks so small" Gunn comments at the sight of Harmony

"Something has happened. Something that requires this to be done to her. Something is wrong" Lorne says to Gunn.

"The gang?"

"It must be. We need to contact them now"

* * *

Meanwhile the gang reach the clock tower where Oliver has his base in Metropolis. As the elevator door opens to an infirmary Clark sees someone he knows "Chloe?"

Chloe sees Clark and blood on his shirt and jacket. "Oh god Clark. What happened to you?"

"Stabbed with kryptonite. We need to dress his wound till the sun rises" Buffy answers as she helps Clark over to a bed and lies him down. She sees a few other people.

"Oh these are doctors Oliver trusts. They'll never say anything" Chloe explains

The other injured parties are similarly laid down.

"Oh what about Gwen? The girl that was killed" Buffy suddenly asks about the dead slayer.

"The clean up crew is there now. Don't worry I'll have her body brought over" Chloe answers to Buffy.

"Thank you" Buffy says

"Thank Oliver. It's his money"

"I'll think about it" Buffy says as she watches a doctor work on Clark.

"Ow" Clark says as the Doctor cleans his wound.

"Don't be a baby" Buffy tells him.

"I'm not use to pain" Clark says back.

"Please lie still Mr Kent" the doctor says.

They know his name? How? "Chloe!"

"Clark lie still and let him help you. I had to brief them about all of you before you got here" Chloe explains to him.

"How is he?" Buffy asks the doctor

The doctor doesn't look up from his work "The wound is deep but not fatally so and already shows signs of healing but he needs rest"

"Good. That's good" Buffy says somewhat relieved. At least she wouldn't lose Clark tonight. She couldn't take that on top of everything else that has happened.

Meanwhile Cordy watches with some amusement as Angel complains as his ribs are taped up. "Stop being a baby" she says to him.

"It's alright for you. All you have is a little cut and a bit of a headache but my ribs are broken"

"5 of them" the doctor working on Angel tells him.

"Actually it's a big headache" Cordy says back. "and about to get bigger. No not now!" she yells as a vision screams into her head.

"Cordy!" Angels says with worry as she grabs her head.

Cordy stumbles a little until the vision passes. "Oh god. Harmony. We need to get back to LA like right now. Stupid powers you couldn't have given more warning next time could ya?"

"Cordy. What did you see?" Angels asks.

"Harmony needs our help"

"Why?" Angel asks not really caring very much about Harmony's wellbeing.

"They put her soul back"

Angel wants to scream out in frustration. "If we didn't have enough problems with Illyria and now they dump this on us."

"Wow isn't this freaky" Fred says to Illyria who is the next bed and who had reluctantly allowed a doctor to treat her. "Harmony has a soul and you stole mine"

Illyria looks at Fred and considers her words. Is this what has happened to her? Has she absorbed the Burkle's soul instead of consuming it as she was meant to.

"Still not up to talking I see" Fred comments. "Ok then I'll leave you be for a little while but know this Old One you and I have unfinished business" Fred then vanishes leaving Illyria alone with her thoughts and feelings. Feelings she doesn't want.

"So how do we get back to LA?" Cordy asks. "Willow looks kind of wiped out so I doubt she's up to a teleport"

"I'll arrange a trip on a private jet" Oliver announces as he wanders next to them after getting back from dropping Lana off. "If you're in a rush that is?"

"We are. Yes" Cordy says.

Angel looks Oliver over still wearing his Green Arrow gear "How can a vigilante afford all this?" he asks.

"I'm surprised you don't recognise my scent, after all we've met"

"I'm not a vampire anymore" Angel states as he tries to think who this guy might be.

"Didn't know there was a cure for that" Oliver says rather perplexed.

"It involves some higher powers" Cordy adds.

"Right" Oliver says as he removes his hood and glasses.

"Oliver Queen!" Cordy yells. She can remember looking at him in those most eligible bachelor lists, back when she was shallow and self centred. "Oh my God. Angel you never told me you knew Oliver Queen"

"It was a business dealing with Queen Enterprises when I was working at Wolfram and Hart" Angel tells her. "Wait a minute I was robbed by the Green Arrow that very night. You were scouting the place out" Angel suddenly realises.

Oliver with a knowing smirk on his face "No-one ever expects it to be the spoilt rich kid and I was simply taking back something that was stolen from my parents in the first place. I prefer to think of what I did as a liberation rather than a robbery"

Angel shrugs slightly "Like I care anymore. I doubt I'll be going back to work for them anytime soon and how do you know about vampires?"

"First I never go into a meeting without doing my research and secondly my father was a member of the Watchers council before it met its untimely end. You'll be surprised at the things I know. Now as for getting you to LA. Chloe!"

Chloe rolls her eyes as she is shouted at by Oliver. "Yes oh generous employer of mine" in many senses since Oliver bought the Daily Planet from Lex.

Oliver chuckles at her. "Our guests need to get to LA. See to it will you"

Chloe mock salutes. "Yes sir"

"I'll leave you in her capable hands" Oliver says as he goes and checks up on the others.

"Right if you follow me I'll have you taken to the airport and you can borrow Oliver's jet" Chloe says to Cordy and Angel who groans as he stands up due to his ribs.

"I will come as well" Illyria says from the next bed. She wishes to stay with the only people in this world she knows.

Chloe eyes the strange blue lady "Right if you want. We better get you going"

As they walk by Buffy who is sitting next to Clark holding his hand "Buffy we have to go. Cordy had a vision. We need to get back to LA" Angel tells her.

"Oh right. Erm we'll talk about those slayers you wanted later" Buffy replies.

"And when you get back Chloe we're going to have a talk about all this" Clark says from his bed in reference to her working for Oliver. His wound has now be dressed and he's just waiting till sunrise.

Chloe groans "Hello I'm a big girl. I can make my own decisions and I chose to do this but if you want to have a talk fine Clark we'll talk after I have dealt with this and once you're healed"

Clark watches her leave out of the corner of her eye.

"You shouldn't work yourself up" Buffy tells him

"Buffy I'll be fine as soon as the sun rises. The advantage of being solar powered"

"I have a right to worry about you. I've lost enough people tonight already" Buffy says more than she meant to.

Clark squeezes her hand "You want to talk about it?"

"Not particularly" Buffy answers.

"I can wait until you're ready"

Buffy gives Clark a small smile and a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you"

They are interrupted by Oliver coughing. "How are we doing?"

"I was stabbed in the back" Clark answers.

"Yes I noticed and how are you Ms Summers?"

"Oh I'm just fine. How's your jaw?" Buffy asks in reference to when she punched him.

"Better. You know it didn't have to end like that. We could have worked something out"

Buffy snorts "What you proposed was the reestablishment of the Watchers Council. We're not going back to that ever. My girls will never be pawns again"

"That's not what I proposed" Oliver hits back.

"Yes it was and if you keep pushing you're going to be getting another punch in the jaw and I won't hold back this time"

"You are blowing it way out of proportion. I suggested a partnership"

"No you suggested that you and yours scout for danger and that my girls are used as weapons. They are not weapons. They are real living people with feelings"

"That possess enhanced strength and speed. You may not see them as weapons but I'm sure your enemies do"

"I'm not saying that we don't have to fight because I know perfectly well we do. What I won't accept is the view the Watchers' Council had about us, that we are sacrificial pawns in some great chess game. That is what you proposed. When you are ready to offer a proper partnership with us on equal terms then I'll listen. Until then get lost"

"And what about you Clark. Is this your view on us?" Oliver asks.

Clark sighs "Well since I wasn't there and don't know all the facts I don't know how you two ended up like this. I think your aims are noble Oliver but I said to you before I don't believe the ends can justify the means you use and before you offer it I can't join you at least not yet. I have too many things to do"

"Like what?" Oliver asks.

"Ok I'm in pain and I'm tired so I'm going to be blunt here Oliver. It's none of your business what I have to do. I have my own path to follow"

"We. We have our path" Buffy says to Clark.

"Right. Yes. Sorry but to be fair I am in a lot of pain" Clark says back.

"Suck it up. Now you know how the rest of us mere mortals feel"

"You two are together aren't you?" Oliver asks at watching the interaction between them.

"Note the engagement ring on my left hand as the answer to your query" Buffy says to Oliver.

"You're engaged!" Oliver yells.

"Tone it down Ollie" Dinah Lance aka Black Canary tells him as she wanders in. "I thought I was the loud one around here"

"Funny Dinah and where did you go off to?" Oliver asks at her disappearance after their little battle.

Dinah rolls her eyes "It's called personal business Ollie"

Oliver narrows his eyes and stares at her "You know you did sign up to be part of this"

"Yes but I did not sign up to you knowing what I do with my personal life and thanks to you I was too late"

"Your date didn't wait for you then" Buffy comments after listening to the exchange.

Dinah sighs deeply "No he didn't"

Oliver's face softens "I'm sorry Dinah"

"Yeah so I am. He was quite nice but hey you haven't introduced me to the very nice man lying on the bed"

Oliver now rolls his eyes "Dinah Lance meet Clark Kent"

"Nice to meet you finally. I've heard a lot about you even if their descriptions didn't do you justice"

"Erm thanks" Clark says somewhat embarrassed. "It's nice to meet you"

Buffy eyes Dinah which Dinah notices "Oh don't worry yourself. I respect that ring you're wearing"

"Ok then" Buffy answers before turning back to Clark who is trying to stifle a yawn. "You should sleep. I'll wake you when the sun is up" she says to him.

"Thanks. I love you" Clark says as his eyes drift closed.

Buffy kisses him "I love you too"

* * *

"Buffy" a voice permeates the darkness. Oh crap she fell asleep. Buffy opens her eyes and sees Clark sleeping, breathing softly. She sits up straight in her chair and tries to locate who spoke to her.

"Buffy" It's Xander.

"Oh hey Xander. How are you doing?"

Xander smiles "Actually for once I got off pretty lightly. I should let you know Gwen's body came while you were asleep. I'll have it arranged to be shipped back to her parents"

"Oh god her parents. I haven't even talked to them yet"

"I have. Willow and I have taken care of it. Now how are you doing?"

"You know me Xander. I always survive"

"Yeah. I can't believe Spike is actually gone"

"Xander don't. I'm not in the mood" Buffy warns him.

"Ok fine but you are allowed to be upset about it even if I never could understand what you and he had together"

"When I work that out myself I'll let you know but me dealing with that is down my list of priorities at the moment" Buffy tells him while her eyes drift to Clark.

"Oh yeah. That's why I woke you up. The sun is up"

Buffy's face lights up at that news "Oh good. Clark wake up"

Clark stirs slightly.

"Clark I know you're tired but if you don't wake up you won't get to see the geek ensemble I bought"

Clark's eyes shoot open only for disappointment to frame his face when he sees Buffy was lying. "You shouldn't raise my hopes like that. It's not fair"

Buffy giggles "Well I had to wake you up somehow"

"You know shouting usually works. I do have very sensitive ears" Clark says as he tries to sit up.

"Here let me help you" Buffy says as she gets off her chair and helps lift Clark to a sitting position.

Clark swings round and see Xander "Morning"

"Yeah morning" Xander says back. "You know you two are creepy talking about geek ensembles"

"Willow liked it" Clark points out.

"Yeah she did. Where is Will?" Buffy asks.

Xander shrugs "Don't know. She said something about looking for some food and I haven't seen her since. I'm sure she's here somewhere but this isn't exactly a small building you know. Our friend Mr Queen owns the whole thing"

"He isn't our friend Xander" Buffy reminds him

"If you say so Buff. By the way where did Cordy and co head off to?"

"Back to LA. Cordelia had a vision. We'll have to catch up with them about that slayer cell they wanted but in the meantime…" Buffy helps Clark to his feet "it's time we got you some sunshine mister"

Clark stands gingerly "Yeah I think so too"

"You are so whipped" Xander comments.

Buffy gets a look on her face "Hmm whips. We haven't tried that one yet"

Xander gets a horrified look on his face "Oh god Buffy. I am not hearing this" he says as he walks off.

Buffy smirks.

"That was just cruel" Clark remarks. "and besides I wouldn't even be able to feel a whip hitting me"

"Who said it was for you but we can discuss this later. Come on" Buffy tells him as they walk to the elevator. Once at the top they walk out onto the balcony and into the sunshine. Clark closes his eyes as he feels the sunlight hit his body. He gently removes his arm from Buffy's shoulder and stands there arms outstretched and much to Buffy's joy shirtless.

"I can feel your eyes on me" Clark says to her.

"I told you, you were sexy. How are you feeling?"

Clark can feel his body recharge and the pain from his wound fade away. "A lot better. Could you check the wound on my back?"

Buffy peels the bandages back and the wound is gone. "It's gone and you know that so is unfair. Even I can't heal that quickly"

"Yeah about that. How are you and I mean physically? We can talk about the other stuff when you're ready."

"I'm good. I wasn't hurt that badly which is a refreshing change"

Clark stops bathing in the sun and turns to look at her. "I'm sorry about the other slayer. I should never have asked you to fight my battles"

"Clark stop. We're in this together now and you know I expect help with my enemies someday"

"You can ask anything of me Buffy and I'll do it"

Buffy gets a lopsided smile on her face. "You should be careful making remarks like that. I have a very vivid imagination"

Clark chuckles and Buffy stands next to him and leans against him while Clark puts his arm around her.

"It's beautiful" Buffy says as they watch the sun rise over Metropolis.

"Yes it is. I'll have to show it to you at night sometime. I think that is when it is at its best."

Buffy says nothing but just cuddles into Clark's warmth. "I wonder where Will got to" she says suddenly.

Clark laughs. "Ok I'm losing my touch. We're here together, alone and you're thinking about Willow"

"Sorry as nice as this is I worry about her. She has a secret girlfriend you know"

"Really?"

"Yeah for the last few months she's been teleporting off when she thinks no-one is paying attention. I wish I could have done that to visit you this last year"

"So do I but you would have been bored. I spent a lot of time simply learning all about Krypton and the rest honing my abilities"

"And your muscles" Buffy adds as she feels said muscles.

Clark slightly embarrassed at anyone praising his physical appearance "Well there was some testing of my limits including strength training"

"Yeah that's good and all but I think you left out combat training because I watched you fight your double and you rely on your raw strength too much"

"Well it is difficult to practice that because I have no-one near my power level to train against."

Buffy frowns. "We'll have to think of something because your technique needs serious work mister"

"OK" Clark answers not knowing what else to say. He had no idea how they would do that.

"Smallville?"

Clark's eyes widen and he turns round to find Lois looking at him and he's pretty sure staring at him because he doesn't have a shirt on. "Hey Lois. What brings you here?"

Lois cannot believe she just checked Clark out. She only came here to see Oliver and find Chloe. "I'm looking for Chloe. She's gone AWOL and I know she was here helping Oliver…" Lois trails off before she tells Clark all about Oliver being the Green Arrow.

"You don't have to worry Lois I know all about Oliver" Clark tells her.

"You do? Since when?" Lois demands to know.

"A while. I stumbled across his weapons closet" Clark says while looking over at the green doors Oliver hide all his arrows behind.

"Oh ok" Lois says somewhat puzzled but for the moment is more interested in the girl attached to Clark's hip. "You going to introduce us Smallville?"

"What? Oh yeah. Lois this my fiancée Buffy Summers. Buffy this is Chloe's cousin Lois Lane"

Lois looks over the rather small blond girl and wonders what the heck Clark sees in her. "It's nice to meet you. You know Chloe?"

"Yes we've met a couple of times and it's nice to meet you. Clark told me stories"

"They're all lies." Lois remarks.

"They are not Lois. I was very complimentary about you" Clark says. "mostly" he adds at a whisper only Buffy could possibly hear causing her to snicker.

Lois eyes the two of them sharing a private joke or something. She doesn't have time for this. "Well I have to get back to finding Chloe"

Clark wonders where Chloe is too. He still has to have that talk with her. He starts to scan the building but it actually doesn't take him very long as she is actually on the same floor and she is doing something that is making him blush.

Lois notices Clark's blush "Clark? What is it?"

"Erm I might know where Chloe is" Clark says

"Oh great where?"

"It'll be easier if I show you" Clark says as he walks over to Oliver's desk and flips the hidden switch causing the green doors to slide back revealing Willow and Chloe in a passionate embrace.

"Chloe!" Lois exclaims.

"Willow!" Buffy exclaims.

Both Chloe and Willow stop and turn to look at the crowd watching them. They break apart and try to straighten their clothes out.

Lois walks up to Chloe "So this is your boyfriend huh?"

Willow looks at Chloe "Boyfriend?"

"She assumed and I just never corrected her. We were going for secret right?"

Willow accepted that. They were.

Buffy walks over to Willow and eyes her.

"Erm morning Buffy" Willow says.

"Morning Will. Oh my god it all makes sense now"

"What does?" Willow asks.

"Why when Clark mentioned Chloe helped pick his clothes you instantly liked them"

"Well did you ever think I just happened to like them" Willow says back.

"When did this start?" Lois asks Chloe.

"A few months ago" Willow answers.

"Willow was doing some research for me in Metropolis" Buffy says trying to keep it as vague as possible since Lois is here.

"I don't understand why you would keep this from me Chloe. I mean you know I wouldn't care if it was a girl you were seeing" Lois says to her cousin with a slight undertone of hurt at Chloe's lack of trust.

Chloe hears the hurt in Lois' voice. Oh she never meant to do that. "Lois it wasn't about trust. Please believe that. It was as I said. It was all new and I wasn't sure how to explain it all to you"

"Explain what?" Lois asks. "Because you know I get the feeling I'm missing out on a lot here. I know Oliver has his secrets due to his being a hero but that doesn't explain Smallville's presence here or how he really found out about all this. After all it's not like he's a superhero or anything"

No-one says anything. Lois notices the silence "Right? Clark is just a normal guy"

Clark can see where this is going and considering Lois already knows about Oliver there is hardly any point in keeping it secret from her anymore. "Lois there is something you need to know. I am normal for my species. It's just that species isn't human. I come from a planet called Krypton"

Lois looks at Clark seeing if he is joking. He's not. "Oh my god you're serious"

Clark nods.

"Oh my god I am so blind. How could I not see it? So what can you do? I mean I've seen what Bart, AC, Dinah and Victor can do so you're going to be pretty hard pressed to beat that"

Clark looks at Buffy who is trying to stifle a laugh at all this considering she had no idea what she has just asked. "Ok Lois. Well lets see now. I'm invulnerable for starters. I have superstrength, superspeed, ice breath, x-ray vision, heat vision, superhearing and oh yeah I can fly"

Lois looks at Clark open mouthed. "No way. You are making this up. You have to be. A man can't fly"

Clark shrugs his shoulders and floats himself off the floor. "Convinced now and oh by the way what's up with all the pink?"

"Pink?" Lois asks confused.

"Pink underwear" Clark says which causes Lois to blush profusely.

"Don't do that Smallville!" Lois warns him.

Clark smirks and lowers himself back to the floor. "Sorry couldn't resist. It's a rare pleasure that I get to embarrass you"

"Well don't get to use to it. So let me clear this up. You're an alien"

"Yes" Clark answers.

"Ok and my cousin is dating a girl"

"A witch actually" Willow says.

Lois turns to look at Willow "Sorry what?"

"I'm a witch. I have magical powers. I thought I would add that if we're all going for honesty here"

"In which case" Chloe begins. "I should mention I have a meteor power that allows me to heal people"

Lois absorbs this and looks at Buffy "So what can you do?"

"Well I don't like to boast" Buffy says which gets a loud snort from Willow. "but I have enhanced speed and strength and agility. I am what is known as a Slayer"

"Slayer?" Lois asks.

"A vampire slayer" Buffy elaborates.

Lois takes a breath. "I should have stayed single"

Buffy wander back over to Clark "She's taking this well"

"That's Lois for you."

Lois glares at the two of them. "Yeah well just you wait till I have you answer my million questions then you can judge how well I'm taking this"

"Easy Lois" Chloe says.

At this moment Buffy's stomach growls. "If we're going to have a chat can we at least do it over breakfast I'm starved"

"So am I" Clark adds.

Chloe shakes her head. "You two are obviously made for each other. Come on this way there's this whole huge kitchen. That's where everyone else will be. In fact Bart almost never leaves it. His hyper accelerated metabolism needs a lot of energy. Feel lucky you only need the sun Clark"

"What about the sun?" Lois asks

"We'll discuss it over breakfast Lois. I promise" Clark says.

"I'm holding you to that Clark" Lois tells him. "Come on then cous lead the way"

Chloe leads with Lois following and Buffy and Clark and Willow walking along together.

"Oh by the way Will I have a few questions for you about this whole secret relationship thing. Oh we'll have to find Xander. He'll love this story" Buffy informs Willow.

"Sure Buffy." Willow says. After all no point in keeping anything secret now.

Well this is going to be fun Clark thinks to himself. Well at least he's glad Lois hasn't gone running for the hills but he really needs to talk to Chloe. He's gone a year and she's dating Willow and working for Oliver. He's a bad friend he suddenly realises. He knows nothing of her life. He'll have to do something about this.


	21. Part 2 Chapter 12

"So this is your new girlfriend?" Xander asks Willow after Buffy had filled him in. They're all sitting around a table eating breakfast after Clark had retrieved his now ruined shirt and jacket. He had really liked that red jacket as well. Sometimes his life sucks.

Willow takes Chloe's hand into hers "Yep"

Xander shrugs "What was with all the secrecy? I like Chloe"

Willow and Chloe look at each other. "Well it's difficult to explain. It just sort of happened" Chloe tells him.

"Ok I'm needing this clarified" Buffy says. "We send you to Metropolis to check up on the girls and you end up with Chloe how?"

"Well it's complicated" Willow begins.

Lois sighs loudly "Since I would like to get to work sometime today just give us the short version"

"Ok so I came to Metropolis and while I was here I picked up on a new slayer. I asked Chloe for help in finding her so we spent a few days working together and then one night it progressed further. The next morning we decided that we wanted to give it a go and we have been together ever since" Willow explains. She turns to Chloe "That about cover it?" she asks.

"More or less since we're going with the short version" Chloe answers.

"Alright moving on to alien boy then" Lois says.

Clark rolls his eyes "I prefer intergalactic traveller or Clark is fine"

"Yeah whatever Smallville. By the way Clark doesn't sound very alien" Lois comments.

"Lois I arrived here when I was 3. Martha and Jonathan Kent are my parents in every way that matters and they named me Clark"

"That doesn't answer my point"

Clark sighs. "Fine if you must know, my name is Kal-El"

"You see. Now that sounds more like it. So why are you on Earth and where are your biological parents?"

Clark takes a breath and explains everything. The destruction of Krypton, his parents sending him here so he would survive, how he arrived on the day of the meteor shower and a very brief summary of him growing up.

"So where have you actually been for this last year or have you really been travelling the world?" Lois asks.

"No I wasn't travelling. I was training and learning all about Krypton. My father left all Krypton's knowledge for me so it wouldn't be lost. I've been up in the arctic for the last year"

"Why the arctic?" Lois asks.

"It's remote and sparsely populated. You see I sort of have a place up there, a monument to Krypton. It would stand out in the fields of Kansas"

"No kidding. It is pretty awesome though" Chloe adds.

"You've seen it?" Lois asks.

Chloe nods "Of course I have. I've known about Clark since the day of our graduation"

"It is cold though" Buffy adds.

"Of course you've seen it" Lois comments. "Wait. Clark said he met you on his travels but he never went on his travels. So how and when did you two meet?"

"It was when you were away last year hunting Lex down. Buffy came to Smallville and we hit it off but we couldn't stay together. I had to go for my training even if I didn't want to." Clark tells her.

"Then a few days ago he shows up literally hovering outside my window, crushed a lump of coal into a diamond and proposed to me" Buffy explains with a happy sigh at the memory.

"Well that's kind of romantic and you made the diamond how?" Lois asks.

"I compacted a lump of coal into a diamond. It's the simple physics of simply applying enough pressure and heat to rearrange the carbon atoms of the coal…"

Lois cuts him off "Whoa, remember college drop out here Smallville. So when's the wedding?"

Buffy and Clark look at each other and then Clark speaks "Well we haven't set a date yet. In fact I really do have to go travelling around the world shortly so it could be a while"

"And I'm going with him" Buffy says

"You're what?" Xander asks

"Going with him. It'll work out. I'll only be a phone call away and hey I can check up on the other cells while I'm at it" Buffy explains.

"Hmm, hmm" Willow says. "And the fact you can spend a lot of alone time with your future husband has nothing to do with it"

Buffy smirks "I never said that"

Lois grimaces slightly "You know that is too much information but can we move on to what the hell a vampire slayer is"

"Fine" Buffy answers. "It goes like this. In every generation there is a chosen one. A girl given the strength to fight the vampires and demons. Until recently there was only one slayer at a time but Will here cast a spell and now there are hundreds of us"

"Ok and how do you all know Oliver? Clark can start"

"Actually it was just as I said Lois. I found his weapons closet and well I confronted him about the whole thing. We became friends, sort of, not close friends or anything but we helped each other out occasionally" Clark explains.

"Ok and you?" Lois asks Buffy.

"Oliver's father was a member of the Watcher's council which were a group of men whose job it was to look after and train slayers. Anyway after we cast that spell Oliver decided he needed a way to control hundreds of super strong girls. Of course if you ask him he'll call it a partnership offer. Lets just say we didn't see eye to eye on the whole thing and leave it at that" Buffy explains.

Lois makes a note to ask Oliver about that later. "Oh before I forget what was that thing you said about the sun Clark?"

"It's the source of my power. Essentially my body is a giant solar battery that stores the sun's energy and converts it into my abilities" Clark answers.

"Right. Hey is that how you did that disappearing trick back in Smallville all the time?" Lois asks him.

Clark nods "Yes it was."

Then it all clicks "Oh my god. You were the one that stopped all the meteor freaks"

"Yes" Clark answers.

"Hey!" Chloe protests "I helped you know"

"You were always getting into trouble" Clark hits back with.

"No I wasn't. It was Lana that they tended to fixate on"

Clark gives Chloe a look "Chloe I can think of at least a few occasions they fixated on you, usually because you hacked them off"

"I am a journalist. Hacking people off is my job and Lana still has me beat by at least 2 to 1"

Clark sighs "I suppose you're right. Of course Lana is now probably hacked off at me after last night"

Lois snorts loudly "Trust me Smallville it isn't worth you being that concerned about her"

"Lois is right. She still has Lex's millions to keep her happy" Chloe adds in agreement with her cousin.

"Of course I'm right" Lois says as she checks her watch "Whoa we're going to be late for work Chloe. I better find Ollie and say hi and then we should be going"

Chloe checks her watch "You're right. We should get going"

"Yes we should" Clark says. "but not to work" he adds.

"Huh?" Chloe and Lois ask in stereo.

"Brainiac Chloe. We need to find Brainiac" Clark reminds her. He had almost forgotten himself until it just came to him right now.

"You didn't destroy him?" Chloe asks.

"Oh I'm sorry Chloe. It was on my list right after nearly dying" Clark says sarcastically.

Chloe mutters a few insults under her breath even though she knows Clark can hear them perfectly well. "Fine. Lois I need you to cover for me"

"Wait. What is going on?" Lois demands to know.

"It is very complicated Lois" Clark says to her.

"Well uncomplicated it" Lois tells him.

"Short version there is a Kryptonian artificial intelligence that would like to destroy the world and I have to stop it" Clark explains. Just then the lights flicker.

They all look up.

"Hmm that's odd" Willow comments.

"What?" Buffy asks.

"To me it feel like the power is being diverted elsewhere, drained"

Clark soon realises what it is. "Brainiac. Chloe where is the nearest electricity substation to here?"

Chloe thinks quickly in her head "About 5 blocks away I think, why?"

Before Clark answers he is gone in a whoosh.

Chloe sighs. "And I thought he had stopped charging off into situations alone" she comments.

* * *

After last night's battle Brainiac had made its way to the nearest substation only barely making it. It needed energy. It is just about recharged when it finds itself flying off after being hit very hard.

Clark had flown the distance in seconds and found Brainiac. Now it was lying in a heap. He picks it up. "I have had enough of you"

Brainiac chuckles "You can't stop me Kal-El. To stop me you'll have to kill me. The one thing you won't do, kill a man. Besides you gave me your word"

Clark grins "You broke your side of our agreement first and you're not a man, you're a machine." He then grabs a power line and shoves it into Brainiac, followed by another and another and a few more. Brainiac stands there current flowing through it while Clark grabs another "You will not harm anyone ever again" he tells it.

"You may destroy me today Kal-El but my partnership with the Phantom was not my only method of destroying you. I have set the seeds of your destruction in motion. It may be many years but you will be destroyed Kal-El"

Clark hesitates wondering if he should find out what it is on about but decides he can't risk it. He has a chance to destroy it here and now. Whatever else it has done he will just have to deal with later. He shoves the power line into Brainiac's head. The massive current overloads it and Clark watches as it basically dissolves into nothing.

* * *

"Did he do this a lot?" Buffy asks Chloe after Clark vanished.

"What? Zoom off at superspeed"

Buffy nods.

"All the time. I can't tell you how annoying it was. There you are talking to him and you blink and he's gone"

"Wow" Lois says.

Chloe and Buffy look at her. "What are you on about?" Chloe asks.

"Clark. I mean he just vanished" Lois says.

"Bart does the same thing Lois" Chloe reminds her.

"I know that but I'm still thinking of Clark as the annoying farm boy. I haven't grasped the concept of him as some superhero yet"

"Right" Buffy says. "Shouldn't we go after him?"

Before Chloe can answer Clark reappears.

"I'm going with no" Chloe says. "So did you find it?" she asks

"Yes, it was trying to recharge itself"

"I'm assuming you destroyed it since you're here and it's not" Chloe mentions.

"Yes or at least I think so. I thought so last time as well saying that" Clark tells Chloe.

Buffy taps Clark on the shoulder "What happened to us doing things together?"

Clark turns to look at her and notices the face of thunder she is wearing. Uh-oh. "Well you see…" Clark trails off while Buffy's glare intensifies.

"I'm sorry isn't going to cut it is it?" Clark asks.

Buffy shakes her head. "Nope. Clark you can't just charge off like that. That's how you end up killed and I will not accept that. Do you have any idea what your death would do to me. I've already lost enough people today"

Clark can see tears threatening Buffy's eyes so he pulls her into a hug "I'm sorry" he says softly.

"Not good enough" Buffy replies.

Chloe sees that perhaps Clark and Buffy should be left alone. "Come on Lois. We should get to the Planet"

"Yeah I guess" Lois answers even though part of her really wants to see this argument.

Chloe goes up to Willow and kisses her cheek "I have to go. Ring you later?"

"Sure" Willow answers and Chloe and Lois make their exit. "Come on Xander you can help me prepare that teleport spell so we can go home"

"Do I have to?" Xander complains.

Willow grabs Xander by the ear "Yes"

"Ow, ow. But Will their first argument. Shouldn't we be here to savour the moment?" Xander asks as Willow drags him off.

"I'm not dignifying that with an answer and technically this is their second argument after the one they had back in LA" Willow tells him.

"You know everyone will know we had a fight by lunchtime" Buffy says to Clark while still in his hug.

"I don't care at the moment. I am sorry I ran off. I'm not use to this whole partnership concept. I've spent so much time doing things for myself because, well I've always been alone"

"You're not alone anymore." Buffy points out to him.

"I know. I'm not sure what to say"

"Just promise me you'll never do it again. Promise you'll never leave me"

"I promise Buffy. I'm here with you forever. I love you"

Buffy pulls back from Clark's hug and looks up into his face. "I love you too"

Clark bends down and their lips meet and Clark takes Buffy's response as a sign he's forgiven.

They are interrupted by Bart zooming in for his post breakfast snack "Dude get a room"

Clark and Buffy break apart. "Hey Bart how are you?" Clark asks.

"Severely lacking a girlfriend despite my best efforts" Bart answers.

"Chloe still turning you down then" Clark extrapolates knowing Bart's tendency to hit on Chloe.

"Every time. It's like she has a boyfriend or something"

A laugh escapes from Buffy before she can stop it.

"Am I missing something?" Bart asks.

"Well I hate to tell you this Bart" Clark begins

"She does have a boyfriend doesn't she. I knew it. Tell me what does he have that I don't?"

Clark looks at Buffy desperately for some help only to see the mirth in her eyes as she tries to hold in the laughter.

"What?" Bart asks.

"Erm I'm not sure how to tell you this Bart. You see Chloe doesn't have a boyfriend. She has a girlfriend" Clark explains.

Clark is actually surprised at Bart's reaction. He simple shakes his head and says "It is just like I said before. The pretty ones are always gay"

"Hey. I resent that remark" Buffy tells him.

"So do I" Clark adds.

"Whoa easy dude. I didn't mean to insult your girlfriend. By the way you are aware she hit Oliver, right?"

"Yes I am aware and that is my fiancée you insulted" Clark feels the need to correct.

"Why are you getting engaged? Don't see the attraction of being tied down personally" Bart mentions to them.

"Because I love her. Because she happens to be a beautiful, wonderful person and I want to spend a lifetime with her" Clark tells Bart like it is the most obvious thing in the world.

"Sexy. Don't forget sexy" Buffy tells Clark.

"Right sorry. Because she's a beautiful, wonderful and sexy person" Clark corrects

Bart rolls his eyes. "Whatever. I'm going to get some food" he says before he walks off.

Buffy takes Clark's hand into her own. "Did you mean all that?" she asks him.

"Of course I did"

"Thank you. So what do we do now?"

Clark thinks about it. Oh crap he forgot to talk to Chloe. "Well I need to see Chloe about something but I should probably go home and change first and I guess I'll pack for our travels while I'm there"

"That sounds like a plan. How is your mother by the way?"

"She's fine. Do you want to come with me? She'll love to see you"

Buffy thinks it over. "Ok. I mean we should tell her about us being engaged"

"I already did but you should come anyway. You are going to be her daughter-in-law soon and she would kill me if I didn't give her the chance to spoil you"

Buffy smiles. She misses being spoiled liked her mother used to for her. "Ok then I'll come. We should let Xander and Willow know"

"Sure" Clark answers as they head off hand in hand to search for them.

"So how did you destroy Brainiac?" Buffy asks.

"I put several thousand volts through it"

"Ooh I bet that was pretty to look at but didn't you promise you wouldn't destroy it"

"I did but it betrayed me when it sided with my double so I think I can say it broke its side of the bargain first"

"Yeah you're probably right. Did it have any last words?" Buffy asks

"Does threatening that it'll get its revenge on me count as last words?"

"Oh come on now. That is so cliché"

Clark chuckles at Buffy's indigence.

"Do you think it can?" Buffy asks more seriously.

"I don't know. It is, it was very intelligent. I wouldn't put it past it but we'll face it together. I promise no more running off on my own"

"Good and yes we will face it together." Buffy tells him. After all together is when she feels, safe yes and something else she hasn't felt in a long time. Like her life is hers again instead of the play thing of the Powers that Be. She hasn't felt like this since before she was called. She isn't sure how Clark does it but she has to say the feeling is nice.

* * *

"You ok?" Clark asks Buffy as they fly above the clouds. They had informed Willow and Xander of what they were doing. Willow and Xander were going to head back to Slayer HQ so Clark and Buffy agreed to meet them there later to discuss how this whole travelling around the world thing was going to work.

"I'm great" Buffy answers. To her this was no less amazing that when she had flown with him to LA. She wraps her arms around his neck a little bit tighter as the countryside flies by underneath them. Flying with Clark; she never felt so free in all her life as she closes her eyes and enjoys the feeling of the wind against her skin.

"So are you ready to talk about it yet?" Clark asks in reference to what happened last night.

Buffy opens her eyes and frowns a bit. "You said you would wait until I'm ready" Buffy reminds him. She doesn't want to talk about what happened.

"I will wait. I was just asking if you were ready to talk about it"

"No" Buffy states firmly. Basically because she doesn't quite know how to put her feelings into words yet.

"I understand" Clark tells her.

Buffy bits her lower lip "Not Spike, not yet."

"Ok. What about, Gwen was it?"

Buffy nods "Yeah. Burden of being a leader I guess. She isn't the first one to die for me. I've lost a couple of my decoys this year. Is that wrong asking them to pretend to be me?"

"You haven't actually explained that to me" Clark points out.

"Well you see I'm the oldest slayer, like ever. We don't usually live this long and before you say it, yes I know I've been dead. Without the Watcher's Council in essence training the slayers falls upon me and Faith. So for some reason that makes me very important"

"You are very important" Clark states firmly.

"Perhaps. It wasn't even my idea. Willow and Xander came up with it. Find some slayers who look a bit like me and use them to confuse our enemies so they don't know where our HQ is actually based but it makes my decoys bigger targets so I ask again is it wrong for me to ask them to do that?"

"Do you force them?"

"No"

"Can they refuse?"

"Of course"

"Buffy I'll admit I don't completely understand your world. We haven't spent enough time together yet for that but my view is this. This is our chance. For thousands of years there was only one of you alone fighting against whole armies of demons but now you have an army with which to actively fight them and as for me. My job is to lead humanity to a better future. You can be a great people, you want to be. Demons have tried to obscure it in darkness so you've lost your way. All you need is a light to show you the way"

"And you're that light" Buffy summarises.

"So my father tells me. I don't generally believe in killing or violence but I know enough to know that change is always difficult and sometimes sacrifices have to be made. If these girls through their own free will choose to risk their lives then no you're not wrong in asking them. You are important Buffy and you need to be kept safe, even if my view is biased and a bit selfish"

"I suppose. It would be so much easier if I had your powers"

Clark smiles sadly "Human bodies can't handle my powers. They assert too great a strain"

"Too bad I guess"

"Yeah" Clark says sadly remembering what having his powers did to his dad's heart. He would never let that happen again, especially not to Buffy.


	22. Part 2 Chapter 13

Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews. Here is the next chapter.

* * *

Soon they approach the farm and Clark glides down. He and Buffy walk in. "Mom!"

Martha Kent appears at the top of the stairs and sees Clark and Buffy and is that blood on Clark's shirt. She rushes down the stairs "Clark honey, what happened?" she asks as she fingers the dried blood.

"Oh, um, the Phantom stabbed me with a piece of kryptonite but as you can see I'm fine now" Clark says not wanting to worry her.

Martha eyes Clark. They'll have to have a talk about this later but she turns her attention to Buffy. "Hello Buffy and how are you doing?"

"Good, thank you Mrs Kent"

Martha's gaze drifts to Buffy's ring "May I?" she asks while pointing at it.

"Oh sure" Buffy answers as she lifts her hand up.

"Oh it is beautiful" Martha comments as she views the ring. "Well congratulations. I just wish your father was here"

"So do I mom" Clark says with a hint of sadness.

"Well have you eaten yet?" Martha asks.

"Yes" Clark answers. "I came back for a shower, a change of clothes and then to pack. I have to go on my travels soon"

Martha squeezes Clark's arm softly "I know Clark you told me and don't worry about me. I have to get back to Washington soon anyway" she reassures him.

Clark does worry about her regardless "Well I better get my shower" he says. He gives Buffy and then his mother a quick kiss on the cheek and heads off up the stairs leaving Buffy alone with his mother. A situation Buffy isn't entirely comfortable with. The one advantage of all her other boyfriends is that she never had to deal with their parents.

Martha can see Buffy is still nervous around her. "Relax Buffy. I don't bite" she teases.

"Sorry. I don't have much experience at dealing with future in-laws."

"Come on through and sit down and you can tell me what you've been up to this last year and hopefully what happened last night. I would like to know how my son ended up stabbed"

Once they are sat down at the kitchen table Buffy relays last night's events as best as she can.

"So that Phantom is gone for good?" Martha asks

Buffy nods. "I believe so and that Brainiac thing even though Clark zipped off on his own. We had an argument about that"

Martha nods in understanding "He does that a lot. He seems to think that by doing things by himself he avoids putting anyone else in danger"

"But I'm not anyone else. I'm a slayer and I've been battling the minions of hell since I was 16. He needs to trust that I can take care of myself and hey I wasn't the one that got stabbed last night"

Martha gives a kind smile "But equally you're not invulnerable to everything but a rock that can reduce you to a helpless mass in a few seconds either"

"It does not make me helpless" Clark says as he reappears in a fresh shirt after his shower.

"Well you sure looked helpless" Buffy comments. "What exactly does kryptonite do to you?" she asks.

"I'm not entirely sure but I saw it near a sample of my blood once and my blood actually boiled so I'm guessing that is what happens to me. It certainly feels like that" Clark tells her as he bends down and kisses her cheek.

"Well if you're done I'll think I'll have a quick shower" Buffy says as she stands up and heads off upstairs leaving Clark with his mother.

Clark notices that his mother is looking at him with an odd expression. "What?" he asks.

"You were stabbed with kryptonite. Are you alright?"

Clark sits down "I'm fine mom really. I've been out in the sun and its rays healed me as usual" he tries to reassure her.

"You said you would be careful" Martha reminds him.

"I was!" he protests before adding "Mostly. Besides it all worked out. The Phantom and Brainiac are destroyed. I'm more concerned for Buffy right now" he says with a glance upstairs.

"Why? What happened?"

"People died tonight mom. Died for me. People close to Buffy and well she's bottling it up"

"Sounds like someone not a million miles away from where I'm sitting. He tended to bottle his feelings up until they exploded out when red kryptonite was about" Martha points out to Clark.

Clark wishes his mother wasn't spot on there. "So what do I do mom?"

"Well firstly Clark. You say you're here to lead by example right?"

Clark nods.

"Then people are going to die in your name, following your example. Change is never easy. If you can't live with that then you better just give up now and as for Buffy. As I said she is like you. Normally in this situation you should give people space but in her case I think you'll have to push a little to get her to open up"

"I'm not sure how to do that. I don't think I'm very good at this" Clark admits

Martha gives her son a reassuring smile "It takes time. I'm sure you'll think of something. In reality you and Buffy haven't been together that long. There are still many things you need to learn about each other which is why I think this trip together will be good for the two of you. Give you a chance to see if you can really spend a lot of time together before you actually commit to marriage"

Clark has to say his mother has a point, another one. Without her he would have no idea at all what to do. "Thanks mom. Well I should go pack" he says as he stands up.

"Ok. Don't forget your glasses if you intend to make that your image" Martha tells him.

Oh right glasses. He had left them in his room. He better not forget those he thinks to himself as he heads upstairs. Once up there he can hear the shower still running. He knocks on the door "Buffy. You alright?"

"Sure. I'm fine" she shouts back.

Clark isn't entirely sure of that and for a minute he considers going in but he decides against it. They can talk later.

Buffy finishes her shower and looks in the mirror. She wipes the tears away. Oh god she never thought that Spike dying would hurt this much. She had thought of him as just being there at the wrong place at the wrong time but maybe he had been there at the right time to help her after she died. God how can she ever explain this to Clark. She hadn't really before. Oh she had mentioned Spike but she had avoided the details of their relationship because, well she could never really explain it to herself never mind to anyone else. She dries herself off and gets dressed. When she leaves the bathroom she finds Clark bag in hand exiting his room.

"Is that you packed?" she asks him.

Clark smiles "Yep. I still need to see Chloe but I can take you back to Scotland first if you want"

"How fast can you actually fly?" Buffy asks him curiously.

"I can propel myself at virtually limitless speeds but you would not be able to endure the forces that moving that fast generates"

Buffy shakes her head in disbelief. "You sure you're not a god?"

Clark smiles gently "Very but if it makes you feel better I could probably give the gods a run for their money"

"Right and yeah you can take me home. It would give me a chance to sort out how things will run while I'm away with you."

"Ok, well we should say goodbye to my mom first" Clark points out.

"Yep, we should" Buffy says in agreement.

So they say goodbye to Martha and Clark drops Buffy off at Slayer HQ where she and Xander and Willow begin to discuss who should take over from her. After all in Buffy's opinion at least she can think of a few who are ready for the responsibility now. Meanwhile Clark heads back to Metropolis and to the Planet looking for Chloe. He finds her working at her desk. "Hey Chloe" he greets her.

Chloe looks up "Hey Clark." She analyses his expression. She knows that one. "You want to talk don't you. Clark if this is going to be a lecture about me working for Oliver, don't bother"

"No it's not" Clark says anxiously. "I came to apologise"

Ok now Chloe is confused. "For what?"

"You were right before. It is your life and you can lead it how you want. I mean I've been away for a year. I have no right to tell you how to live your life. I mean I didn't even ask you if you had a boyfriend or in this case girlfriend. That was incredibly selfish of me"

"Clark you wanted to see Buffy. I understand that. So bottom line here is that you're not going to lecture me and you're ok with me working for Oliver"

"I wouldn't go as far as saying I'm happy about it. While his aims may be noble, his methods still need work"

Chloe sighs "I thought you would say that and to some extent I agree with you but you can't change things from the outside Clark. You need to be a part of it if you want to change things"

"I can't Chloe. You know I can't"

"Yeah, yeah. Your world tour. How long will that take? The world needs someone like you Clark"

"It will take as long as it takes. I'm hoping no more than a year or two"

"I almost envy you. I would love to see more of the world." Chloe tells him.

"How about I write to you about it? I was planning to write it all down anyway"

"You were?"

"Yes. I am the last Kryptonian Chloe. When I am gone my race will be as well so I'm going to add a journal of my life to the data in the Fortress"

"Wow I'll bet that will be some read one day and I would love it if you keep in touch. One other thing. Am I getting a wedding invite?"

Clark chuckles "Yes Chloe but I don't think we'll be having the wedding until after we get back"

"That's ok as long as my seat is secured"

"It is. Well I better say bye now because I don't know if I'll see you again before I leave"

"Oh" Chloe says as she gets to her feet and gives Clark a hug. "Take care of yourself"

"I will. You are my best friend Chloe. That is never going to change"

"What are you two doing?" Lois asks as she spots the two of them hugging.

Clark and Chloe break apart. "I'm saying goodbye and since you're here Lois I'll say goodbye to you too. I'm leaving on my world tour"

"Oh right. Well take care of yourself Smallville"

"Thank you Lois and the same to you. I would tell you to stay out of trouble but I know you can't so just avoid getting yourself killed"

Chloe giggles at that while Lois frowns. "That is a blatant exaggeration. I do not get into trouble" Lois hits back.

"Whatever you say Lois. I should go. I'll see you when I see you" Clark says as he walks off.

"I still can't get over that he's an alien" Lois says to Chloe as they watch him leave.

Chloe shrugs "You will. I did. It just takes a little time"

"I suppose. Of course him being an alien explains all the plaid. Only an alien would think that is fashionable clothing"

"For once I agree with you Lois. Come on we should get back to work"

"Sure" Lois says in agreement with her cousin.

* * *

Meanwhile in LA Angel, Cordy and Illyria arrive back at the hotel to find Gunn waiting for them in the lobby. "There you are. We've been trying to reach you. Something has happened with Harmony"

"We know." Angel says.

"I had a vision" Cordy explains.

"Right." Gunn replies.

"Where is she?" Angel asks.

"Upstairs. Room 20" Gunn answers.

Angel and Cordy leave while Illyria stays beside Gunn.

"So how are you?" Gunn asks her.

Illyria tilts her head and says nothing.

"Honestly that is so rude not answering him" Fred says as she appears beside Gunn.

"What do you want with me?" Illyria asks.

"I don't want anything with you" Gunn answers to her question.

"I was not talking to you. I was talking to the Burkle"

"Right" Gunn says. Wow she has seriously lost it he thinks. "So what is she saying to you?" he asks humouring her.

"I do not know what she wants of me but I find her presence most disturbing"

"And how do you think I feel" Fred says in response. "One day I come into work, examine an ancient sarcophagus and end up subsumed by a demon"

"You have said this before that I absorbed you. You should have been destroyed by the fires of my resurrection"

Fred smiles "But I wasn't. So the question is where do we go from here or do we continue like this with me haunting you forever"

"What alternative exists?" Illyria asks.

Gunn listens to this one sided conversation not quite knowing what to do but as long as Illyria doesn't go postal he decides he'll just let her continue for now.

Fred skips up to Illyria. "Remember how I said you were different"

"It is because of you. You have contaminated me"

"Well I wouldn't put it quite that way but in a sense yes. I'm stuck in you. I can't move on while you remain alive so you get the benefit of my emotions"

"Emotions are a weakness" Illyria retorts.

"Are they? What do you base that on?" Fred asks her.

"I never needed them before" Illyria answers.

"Ah but the world is so different now"

"So I have come to realise but you have not answered my query about the alternative course we could follow"

"It is easy stop fighting me. Embrace me. Instead of two we become one, something new, something different"

"Something infected by weakness" Illyria adds to Fred's statement.

"You are already weak while I grow stronger. Soon I'll work out a way to take control of my body again but then this situation would be reversed and you would haunt me until the day you figure out how to take back control. So there is it Illyria. That is our situation. We can fight each other forever trying to remain in control or you can accept my offer. Which is it?"

Illyria contemplates it for a second. The Burkle had a point. She, they were weak as long as they fought each other. That was an unacceptable situation but what would she be afterwards. She was eternal, her memories stretched across millennia while the Burkle had been here for only a blink of an eye. Surely she would dominate as she had always done. "I accept" Illyria answers Fred.

"Goody. Then take my hand" Fred says as she holds out her hand.

Illyria takes it and Fred vanishes in a flash and Illyria crumbles to the floor unconscious while Gunn rushes over to her collapsed form. He turns her face up and lying there is not Illyria at least to his eyes. Lying there is Fred Burkle just as he remembered her. What the hell is going on?

* * *

Upstairs Angel and Cordy enter Harmony's room to find Lorne softly singing to her. "How is she?" Cordy asks.

"Asleep for now but it won't last for long" Lorne answers.

"Has she said anything?" Angel asks.

"She just keeps asking for some way to make the screams stop. I don't think I have to explain to you what that is about"

Angels shakes his head. No he doesn't. He knows what it is. All the people she has killed. He sighs and looks at her. Curled up on the bed, the streaks of tears still visible on her face he has to say she almost looks innocent.

Harmony's eyes shoot open. Her dreams, she can't sleep. She sees them, all of them. Oh god she is so sorry. Her eyes look around the room. "Cordy?" she asks in a small voice.

Cordy sits down on the bed next to her and strokes Harmony's hair out of her eyes. "Hey Harmony. How are you doing?" Cordy asks.

"Oh god Cordy. The things I have done. I'm sorry"

"I know you are sweetie"

"Cordy stand back" Angel instructs her which Cordy does with some confusion. "Harmony you need to listen to me. You can't lie here. You lie here and the voices will drive you insane. I can't say they will stop because they never do but they will take charge if you let them."

"But I killed them and tortured them and…"

"And did nothing in comparison to the things I did Harmony. However bad you think it is trust me it can't compare. I'm not saying you'll be better tomorrow because you won't. It will take time to come to terms with this but we'll be here to help you. Ok?"

Harmony nods.

"Now is there anything you need?" Angel asks.

"I am kinda hungry" Harmony says with some guilt lacing her voice at asking for blood.

"Ok then. Now why don't you get out of bed and come get some blood" Angel says to her.

Harmony slowly starts to get out of bed but when Angel holds his hand out she flinches at his touch.

"Its ok Harmony. I know you can sense my blood. You have to learn to deal with it. Take my hand"

Harmony takes it and Angel helps her to her feet and they make their way downstairs to find Gunn over a collapsed Illyria or is that Fred. "What happened?" Angel asks.

"I don't know. One minute she was having a conversation with thin air and the next she collapses and looks like this" Gunn answers.

"Lorne could you take Harmony to get some blood please?" Angels asks him.

"Sure" Lorne says as he takes Harmony's hand from Angel. "Come on angel. Lets get you some food shall we"

"Will Fred be ok?" Harmony asks.

"Oh she'll be just fine but for now let us worry about you" Lorne reassures Harmony not wanting to endanger the fragile state she is in.

Angel and Cordy make their way over to Fred or Illyria or whoever she is at the minute. "Lets get her on the couch" Angel says.

Angel and Gunn pick her up and lay her on the couch. Angel opens her eyelids and is surprised that underneath they retain Illyria's crystal blue eyes. "Her eyes haven't changed."

Cordy and Gunn look. "OK what the hell is going on with her?" Cordy asks.

"I don't know unless the powers feel like telling us" Angel suggests.

"Good luck there" Cordy comments. She doesn't expect them to offer much help.

Then just as suddenly Illyria/Fred sits up and looks around. "Angel?" she asks with her distinctive Texan accent as her gaze falls upon him.

"Fred?" Angel asks back.

"Yes and no" she answers back as she stand up and starts to walk around in the stiff manner Illyria would.

"What do you mean yes and no?" Cordy asks.

"We are both Fred and Illyria and yet we are neither" she answers as she looks at her body and wills it to look like Illyria's form with the red leather and the blue in her hair and on her skin and then back to looking like Fred.

"Ok then" Cordy says. Then to Angel in a whisper "She has lost it"

Angel wishes he could argue that point but he is wondering the same thing. "So what do we call you if you are neither Fred nor Illyria?" Angel asks.

"You make a valid point. I need a name"

"She just went from we to I" Gunn points out.

"Would calling me Fred still make you uncomfortable?" she asks.

"A little bit" Angels answers honestly.

"Then I will remain Illyria. I was Illyria longer than I was Fred."

"Ok. So Illyria what happened to you?" Angel asks

"I was two and now I am one" she answers.

"What does that mean?" Gunn asks.

"The beings you knew as Fred Burkle and Illyria no longer exist. We are joined, fused together into one being. The one you see before you"

"And what do you want?" Angel asks what he considers a very valid question consider what Fred wanted and what Illyria wanted were two very different things.

"My purpose?" Illyria asks.

Angel nods.

"I am uncertain. Fred believed in you Angel and in her way so did Illyria. So I believe in you. I will follow you in your mission"

"Ok" Angel answers as Lorne walks back in with Harmony.

Illyria tilts her head and studies Harmony "Your soul has been returned"

"Fred?" Lorne asks.

"I have chosen to remain called Illyria" she informs him with a smile only Fred would ever give him.

"Erm Angel. What is going on?" Lorne asks.

"We're not sure exactly but she claims to be some melding of Fred and Illyria"

Harmony looks at her in her own confused state."Fred? Is it you?"

Illyria's tone softens "Hello Harmony. Oh wow you look a bit of a mess." she says in reference to Harmony's appearance.

"I guess I do" Harmony answers.

"Why don't we go and find you some new clothes?" Illyria suggests to her.

"Ok" Harmony answers trying to focus on something other than the voices in her head.

The gang watch as Illyria takes Harmony and heads off upstairs.

"Ok did she just show Fred like sympathy and understanding?" Cordy asks amazed at the display.

"Yep" Angel answers equally amazed at the display.

"But from her display earlier she seems to still possess Illyria's abilities" Gunn points out from her costume changes.

"Seems like it" Angel says in agreement.

"Well this has been one hell of a day" Lorne comments.

"I know" Angel says as she winces slightly at the pain he still has from his ribs.

"You ok Angel?" Gunn asks.

"I broke a few ribs but they seem to be healing. They are not as painful as they were last night"

"Oh right. How did the big fight go?" Gunn asks.

Angel looks at Cordy and she looks back at him. Boy where to start?

"Where's Spike?" Lorne asks.

Yeah that was a good as place as any to start as Angel and Cordy explain everything that happened. Of course with Harmony's soul and this new Illyria their new lives after everything that happened with Wolfram and Hart seem to be just getting started.


	23. Part 2 Chapter 14

Clark awakens after spending the night with Buffy at Slayer HQ to find the bed empty. Ok where did she go? He gets up and finds some clothes at the bottom of the bed with a note from Buffy telling him to put them on which he does. Hey wait a minute these are workout clothes. Ok what is his fiancée, whom he loves dearly, up to?

Clark can find Buffy easy enough with his superhearing and all. He finds her in the dining room or maybe mess hall is more appropriate. As soon as he walks in he finds the eyes of it must be a hundred slayers on him. He spots Buffy who springs up from eating and rushes over. "Clark! You're up and the clothes fit. I'm glad"

"Yeah. Buffy what is going on?" he asks.

"I'll explain in a minute. First I have to introduce you." She turns her attention back to the assembled masses "Everyone if I can have your attention I'll introduce my fiancé Clark Kent. Clark this is the horde of girls you insisted I lead"

"It was only a suggestion" he says to Buffy again. "And hi" he says to the hall.

One of the girls wolf whistles in response.

"Wow. Where have you been hiding him?" another one asks.

"Never you mind Grace" Buffy shouts back at the girl.

"But come on. Look at him" Grace shouts back.

"Grace unless you want to be cleaning the bathrooms for the next month I suggest you drop it" Buffy warns her. Deciding that is enough she grabs Clark and drags him off.

Grace sits back down. "It isn't fair you know. The first hot guy in months and Buffy has already snagged him"

"True but you know the stories of Buffy. If he's hot and not human, he's doomed to fall for her" Rose reminds her.

"Wait? Not human?" Grace asks. Then it dawns on her "Oh right he's an alien isn't he. Wow I wonder if all aliens look like him. What do you say Renee?" Grace asks the girl across the table.

"Oh don't bother asking her. She has got the hots for Xander" Rose points out.

"Ooh really" Grace says with some happiness at potential gossip.

"Well he's funny and cute" Renee says in her and Xander's defence.

"I guess. Why was Buffy dragging her fiancé out of here anyway?" Grace asks.

"Oh she has barred everyone from the training room today. She has decided his combat skills need work and for some reason she doesn't want anyone to see it" Renee answers. One of the advantages of working in the command centre is that she gets to overhear a lot of conversations.

* * *

"Buffy there is no way I'm doing this with you" Clark tells her as they enter the training room.

"Oh yes you are. You need training and I'm going to see that you get it. There will be no world tour until I am satisfied you're good enough" Buffy tells him in no uncertain terms.

"But Buffy I told you about this. I'm too powerful. If I mess up I will hurt you"

"Which is why I had this made" Buffy says as she produces a bracelet with a tiny blue stone.

"Is that blue kryptonite?" Clark asks.

"Yep I found it in my pocket and I had Will fuse into this bracelet for you. Now put it on"

Clark takes the bracelet from her "But this makes me human. You'll still have your powers" he points out to her.

"I'll be gentle. I can do gentle"

"Alright I'll put it on but I can't help but think you are using this as a distraction" Clark says to her as he snaps the bracelet on his wrist.

"Distraction from what?" Buffy asks.

"Talking about Spike" Clark says back to her. She was still refusing to discuss it.

"Don't Clark. Don't you dare. I can't talk about him especially not to you"

"Buffy this isn't healthy and I know I said I'd wait but my mom pointed out something"

"Oh what was that?" Buffy asks

"That you bottle things up just like I do" Clark says as he throws a punch at Buffy which she easily avoids and then grabs Clark's arm and flips him on his back.

"I do not bottle things up and that attack was too obvious. You'll have to do better than that"

Clark gets back to his feet and he and Buffy slowly circle each other "So what is it about Spike particularly you can't talk to me about?" Clark asks as he attacks Buffy again which she blocks and attempts to counter only to find Clark block it.

"That was better technique but you are still no where near hitting me. My relationship with Spike was weird. I convinced myself that even though he said he was in love with me he couldn't be as he had no soul"

Clark's next attack ends up with him on his back again. He picks himself up off the floor. "What changed?" he asks.

"The part where I died or he got his soul back and you are still far too obvious. You have to remember you don't have your nifty super powers anymore to overcome me with. You need to disguise your attacks better like this"

Clark thinks Buffy is going to punch his head but instead she hits him in the stomach causing him to double over and Buffy sweeps his legs away and down he goes.

Ouch. He's going to have a bruise now he thinks as he gets back up. Buffy is smirking at him.

"Wow what's that? 3 times on your ass already and we've barely started"

"Which came first?" Clark asks.

"Me dying. I told you what I went through. Hell you've been dead. I don't think you found it as difficult as I did but you weren't as dead for as long as me"

"It still wasn't easy. When I was with my dad I didn't want to leave. I felt happy, complete in a way that I had never felt before and then I was ripped away from him."

Buffy stops and her eyes glaze over as she drifts off into her memory of how complete she felt when she was dead and Clark takes it as an opportunity to flip her over into her back. "That's 3 to 1 now sweetie" he informs her.

"Not bad strategy there making me lose focus" she says. "But you should have let go of my arm as soon as I was on my back." Buffy grabs Clark's arm and easily flips him over next to her and then she flips herself back onto her feet. "4 to 1 now sweetie"

Clark gets back up. Oh yeah he's definitely bruised now. "So you come back and what happened?"

"I felt no love, no joy, no happiness. Being with Spike was the only thing that made me feel anything at all. I knew it was wrong. That he was still a soulless monster under it all but for right there, right then I embraced the darkness. There is always a darkness to a slayer. Our power comes from a demon, its essence was poured into the first of us thousands of years ago and it is still there. The first slayer was little better than the things we kill. She only lived for the kill. It was all about instinct" Buffy fakes an attack causing Clark to jump slightly which brings out a smile on her face.

"When I'm on red kryptonite I act purely on instinct. Kal is simply me without the weight of conscious. He lives only for his own selfish desires, that be money, women, cars, whatever takes his fancy"

"Women huh. A lot of them were there?"

"A different one every night when I was in Metropolis. They were pathetic and shallow and I treated them as such"

"What happened to it being Kal?" Buffy asks as he jumps from third person to first person.

A smug look appears on Clark's face. "Oh I am Kal. Sorry am I confusing you? Kal liked you, you know. I wanted you in that cave after Caleb put that ring on me but I wanted rid of Jor-El more." Clark says as he throws another punch that Buffy avoids.

"So you weighed it up and decided my death was preferable to having to listen to your father" Buffy says as she throws a punch that Clark avoids.

"Uh-huh and Kal figured that I still had Faith to keep me warm at night"

"You're still jumping from first to third person. You know that right?"

"Yep. So where were we? That's right you and Spike"

"I tried to end it. I needed to end it. I realised that but he didn't. No soul you see, no conscious"

Clark froze in place "He tried to force himself on you"

"Yes he did and by the way you do know that I could have just seriously kicked your butt right there" Buffy tells him as Clark stands there.

"Buffy this is serious. But I saw you with him. You were friends. How could you…"

"How could I still be around him? It's simple really. He had no soul and he didn't succeed. I stopped him. If I hadn't been a slayer I couldn't have but the world isn't all sunshine and roses and I think you know that and your break is over" Buffy grabs the still frozen Clark and once more throws him to the ground. Buffy places her foot on his chest. "Get up!" she orders of him.

Clark gets back up once Buffy has removed her foot and they get back to circling each other "So you stopped him. What then?"

"He left and got his soul back in the belief I think I would see him the way he wanted me to see him"

"Did you?" Clark asks her.

"My mind hadn't changed. If I went back to him soul or no soul I was giving in to the darkness. He stayed around and helped against the First. My last image of him before we went to that alley was him burning in sunlight as he saved the world. I told him I loved him"

"Did you mean it?"

"I don't know. I would be lying if I didn't say I cared. I know what you're thinking though. How could I still care about him? My world is seriously screwed up Clark and at times so have I been. That's why I was in Smallville in the first place. I was clearing my head but instead I bumped into you and you added a whole new level of screw-y-ness by making me fall in love with you"

"I don't think I made you do anything"

"I didn't expect to fall in love with anyone, wasn't even looking for it. All that fall in love, get married, have babies, that is for other people. Ones who don't have to save the world on an annual basis and oh duck" she tells him as she swings a punch over his head as he ducks. She chuckles. "You are so easy. I could have done the opposite there and put you back on your ass" she says with a smile.

Clark frowns "Ha. Ha. So now that he is dead. How do you feel?"

"I don't know!" Buffy cries out frustrated. "When I heard he was still alive, I didn't go find him or seek him out because I had you. I had a choice. Go to Spike, return to a world without the sun or wait for you and soar above the clouds, even though I didn't know you could fly yet"

"Well thanks but we can discuss us later. When they told us Spike was gone, what did you feel at that moment?" Clark asks her hoping he is starting to get through her barriers.

"Like a knife had been stuck in my heart and twisted but I still can't decide if what we had was love or if it was, it was all twisted and wrong. People in my world die all the time…"

"But they don't make you feel like this. People die in my world too Buffy. There was this girl Alicia. I loved her and then she was murdered. I hunted her killer down. I had my hands round his throat and for a second I thought about squeezing. For me it would have been so ridiculously easy to have snapped his neck it is almost funny"

"Ok I don't see how this applies to my situation"

"You think you have heard all my stories? Trust me you haven't. Alicia was unstable. Oh she was a long way from being a soulless monster. Although she did try to kill Lana and heck she nearly killed me. Anyway that was the first time we met. The next time she made a necklace out of red kryptonite and tricked me into wearing it."

"Wow I'm guessing that ended badly" Buffy comments having seen Clark on red kryptonite.

"Think Vegas and what Vegas is famous for"

Buffy's eyes widened as she realises what he means. "You married her!" she yells and then punches Clark a lot harder than she means to knocking him flat. "Oh god. Sorry" she says as she rushes over and rolls Clark over so she can look at him. He has his eyes closes which shoot open and he flips her down next to him just like she did to him earlier.

"Hey you learned something and where the hell do you think you can get away with not telling me you have been married" Buffy demands to know while still lying there.

Clark chuckles "It wasn't legal. I was only 17 at the time" he says as he gets back up. "My point of this story is that it is possible to love someone who is very wrong for you"

Buffy gets back up as well "Like Lana?"

Clark sighs "I know. She wasn't always like that. I don't know what happened to her"

"Well you still haven't almost been raped" Buffy points out.

"There was this girl that had a magical amulet that hypnotised me" Clark begins to say.

Buffy instantly picks up on the direction this story is going. "Oh god she didn't. She did not command you to have sex with her"

Clark nods. "She did but we were interrupted thank god. Although I will have to live with the image of her in her underwear for the rest of my life and the anguish on Lana's face when she walked in on us. That was the final straw for us. I couldn't do it after that. I couldn't continue hurting her so I ended it. I looked her right in the eye and told her I didn't love her even though it was a lie because I did love her and a part me always will" Clark tells Buffy.

"I wasn't lying when I told Spike I loved him" Buffy confesses. She stops and turns her back to Clark unable to look him in the eye, worried about how he will react.

Clark goes up behind her and wraps his arms around her. "We've both had other people we loved before we met each other. That's normal"

Buffy laughs sadly "It was wrong. God it was so screwed up but at the time I needed him. He did help me after my death. I'm not ashamed to admit it. He was the only one who could. I turned away from everyone else, my friends, my sister"

"I did the same with Lana. After my resurrection I pulled back. I had no way to explain it to her. I had no way to explain the bullet hole that magically healed over. I had no way to explain the price that my resurrection came with"

"There's always a price isn't there. That's why Tara died I think. I've never said this to Willow and I don't think I ever will but for me to live…"

"A life had to be exchanged for yours" Clark finishes.

"Who was it for you?"

"Dad. It was dad or at least it was the second time"

"Second time?" Buffy asks. "You really haven't told me everything"

"Neither have you." Clark points out

"Yeah but we told each other a lot didn't we. I mean we haven't been lying to each other have we?" she asks almost afraid that perhaps they have built this relationship on lies.

Clark tightens his embrace to reassure her. "No. Every word I have said to you is true but we only had a few days. It really isn't enough time to go through everything and there is a reason I left out the details of this story"

"Which were?" Buffy asks.

"It was all my fault. Jor-El warned me there would be consequences but I didn't listen. You already know how I gave up my powers"

"Yeah you told me and then you died and Jor-El resurrected you"

"And he told me someone I loved would have to die for me to live so I went frantic trying to keep an eye on everyone I cared about. It was part of the reason I pushed Lana away until one day I decided I couldn't do that to her anymore. I made the decision to tell her everything so I took her up to the Fortress"

"Yeah that's a good place to tell her everything. If she didn't believe you after seeing that then she would never believe you."

Clark takes a breath at what he has to say next "I proposed to her"

Buffy breaks out of Clark's arms and turns to look him in the eye "You what!?"

"Proposed to her" Clark repeats as calmly as he can.

"What did she say?"

"Yes." A pause. "And then she died"

Buffy's brain starts to break down. She had seen Lana with her own two eyes. "Ok I'm getting really confused and angry so you better have this make sense and soon"

"Lana died protecting my secret from Lex. I was heartbroken. I went to the Fortress and begged Jor-El to help me undo it."

"And?" Buffy asks.

"He turned back time. Allowed me to live out the day again"

Buffy was flabbergasted. "Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to mess about with time?"

"Probably more than you do"

"Alright explain quickly. What happened?"

"I didn't tell her about me and she lived. I zipped about all day trying to keep her alive and everyone else I cared for. Lois was nearly electrocuted in her bath but I saved her and just as I thought I had done it, that I had defied fate, I found my dad lying on the ground dying."

"I'm sorry" Buffy says sadly.

"Why? None of it was your fault and as for Lana that was the beginning of the end. We broke up after that just like I said but I held on for her trying to figure out a way to make it work because I was afraid I would never find anyone else. Even when she married Lex I hanged on. Until I met you I was still hanging on to a relationship with Lana that we had never really had. Now look at her. She probably hates me. I wonder sometimes if I pushed her into becoming like that"

"No Clark you didn't. She had a choice. She chose to marry Lex. She chose to believe the lie that your double offered her. And if she hates you, well at least you can say it is still her choice. I chose to get involved with Spike. The pain I'm going through is also my choice"

"But you don't have to carry it alone anymore. Neither of us do" Clark points out to her.

Buffy stands there, silent. Clark walks back up to her and pulls her into his body. "Let it go Buffy"

Buffy says nothing but she does finally give in to the pain she has been feeling. Tears fill her eyes and roll down her cheeks soaking Clark's shirt. Clark just holds her letting her pour her grief out while he contemplates his own. God where does he even start with that. His entire race is dead after all.

After a while Buffy finally stops her tears. She's just glad Spike isn't here to see he has made her cry. She would never hear the end of it.

"You ok?" Clark asks as he notices Buffy has stopped crying.

"Yeah. I just like the feeling of you holding me. By the way you feel so much softer without your powers and I've also soaked your nice new shirt that I bought you. Sorry"

"It's fine. So what do we do now?" Clark asks.

"Well I did clear the training room schedule for the whole morning" Buffy points out.

"Oh really. Why? So you can knock me on my ass a few dozen times"

A smile forms on Buffy's face "Yep. After all you only learn by doing"

Buffy pulls out of Clark's embrace and wipes the tears from her face. "So come on. I'll let you attack me first"

Clark looks at her dubiously. "Fine but just let me take this shirt off first" he says and as he does so there is a noticeable bruise on his stomach where Buffy has hit him.

Buffy eyes Clark's shirtless form "So what is the plan here? Distract me with your rippling muscles"

"You're the one who soaked my shirt" Clark retorts.

"You know two can play at this game" she says as she takes her shirt off leaving her in only a tight vest and exposing her flat and toned midsection.

Clark can't help but stare at her. "That is not fair. You are way better looking than I am"

"I don't like to boast" Buffy tells him. "Right then come on. I'm a bad guy. Come get me"

Clark shakes his head and tries to focus so maybe he can keep his beating down to single figures. A couple of hours later that plan has failed miserably as he ends up once more flat on his back panting for breath. He is covered in sweat and several more bruises. Buffy looks down on him. "Give up?"

Clark frowns at her "Hey give me a break, you have slayer stamina. Without this bracelet I would have whipped your butt in about 5 seconds"

Buffy gives him a smile and offers her hand which Clark takes and she hauls him to his feet. "Yeah probably but you can take it off anytime but that would be an admission of failure"

"Am I really that bad?" Clark asks forlornly.

"No, not really. You have managed to get me a few times and I promise I didn't let you" Buffy tells him to give him some encouragement. She isn't lying. He is not that bad and he learns fast. In the last couple of hours he has picked up stuff Buffy thought would take him a couple of days at least.

"Thanks. I can't remember the last time I sweated this much from exertion and not some illness or kryptonite poisoning."

"Welcome to the world of mere mortals"

"You are not a mere mortal" Clark points out to her.

"But I do sweat and get tired and I am not bullet proof"

"It is not all it is cracked up to be being invulnerable" Clark feels the needs to say.

"I know. The constant control you need. I understand a little bit. I mean I could probably rip someone's head off quite easily and the fact I just thought of that is really disturbing."

"I can kill with a look Buffy" Clark mentions in reference to his heat vision.

"But you don't so why are we talking about this. Come on it's my turn to attack you. I'm a big bad evil vampire and I'm going to eat you"

Clark looks down at Buffy. "Big?" he asks with a smirk.

"Don't you dare make fun of my height. I am not short. You're just tall"

"Fine. Whatever you say."

"Ok just for that I'm going to go full slayer on you"

Clark's face pales. "Wait…" is all he manages to say before Buffy knocks him quite painfully down to the floor once more.

"Serves you right" She tells him as she stands there.

Clark starts to sit up but instead notices where Buffy is standing and takes the chance to sweep her legs from under her and then he proceeds to straddle her pinning her arms down.

Buffy smirks at this position and the excellent view she gets of Clark's chest. "Now what?" she asks him.

"Now what what?" Clark says with a cheeky grin at the memory of when they were in the opposite position back in Smallville when they first met.

Buffy is on to his game. "What are you going to do now? I hate to tell you this but I can easily lift you up"

Clark bends down so his face is literally centimetres from Buffy's. "Prove it" he challenges her in a low and to Buffy an extremely sexy voice.

Buffy is about to but her eyes are drawn to his sweet kissable lips. "Later" she tells him as she pushes her lips onto his.

Not that Clark ever minds Buffy kissing him but this is not the best place to be doing this. "Buffy" he says as he tries to pry loose from her lips.

Buffy stops and frowns as she sits up "What?"

"This is not the best place to do this"

"The door is locked and not do what? This" she says as she kisses one of the bruises on Clark's chest.

Clark groans at the curious mix of pain and pleasure that he is not use to. Buffy's kisses moves upward to his neck and then "Ow! Did you just bite me?"

"Uh-huh. A love bite. I love the fact that I can make a mark on your skin at the moment so I'm taking full advantage"

"Yeah I noticed the taking advantage part"

"Are you complaining? Do you want me to stop?"

"No but be gentle. I bruise easily at the moment"

"I promise I'll be very gentle" Buffy tells him as she kisses another one of his bruises making Clark wince slightly.

* * *

Later the two of them are lying on the training room floor. Clark is almost asleep while Buffy continues to feather kisses all over his chest and fingers every mark she has made on him knowing as soon as Clark takes the blue kryptonite off they will disappear. That was a very interesting experience she thinks compared to the normally invulnerable Clark she makes love to. The difference being of course is that he could give himself over to her totally without fear of hurting her. She on the other hand did have to hold back. An interesting reversal. "Clark" she says softly to his near sleeping form.

"Hmm, hmm" Clark says sleepily.

"You ok?" she asks.

"I'm fine. A little sore. The good sore" he says back and it was. It was interesting being the weaker one for once as Buffy used her strength to overpower him. He thinks this may be the first time he has truly appreciated just how strong she is compared to a normal human being which in a way he is as long as he has this blue kryptonite on his wrist. Saying that it wasn't like he had no idea what it felt like to do this without his powers, after all he and Lana…Right so not the best time to think of Lana when his beautiful fiancée is lying here next to him. "You ok?" he asks her.

"I'm fine. I love you" she tells him.

"I love you too" he replies.

Then there is a banging at the door. "Buffy!" It's Willow. This better be really good Buffy thinks to herself. Otherwise Will may feel her wrath for interrupting this moment.


	24. Part 2 Chapter 15

Buffy groans in annoyance at being disturbed as she and Clark quickly try to find their clothes. "Just a minute Will!" she shouts back. "Where is my shirt?" she asks Clark.

Clark who is struggling with his pants indicates with his head "Over there by the swords on the wall"

Buffy spots it. "Thanks" she says while she gives him a quick kiss on the cheek. When she thinks they are clothed enough she unlocks the door to find not only Willow but a whole gang of slayers lining the hall who quickly notice Clark standing behind Buffy with no shirt on.

Willow sees Clark and Buffy without shoes of any kind and her shirt is on backwards. "Good workout then?" she asks.

Buffy blushes slightly "Erm yeah. It was most…satisfying" she says before she realises she has used the wrong word.

"I bet it was" Willow comments with a knowing smile.

"Is there a particular reason you're here?" Buffy asks.

"Giles knows" she says simply.

"Oh god" Buffy says back.

"Knows what?" Clark asks.

Buffy turns to face him "That I'm leaving. I was sort of avoiding telling him because he would try and stop me" She turns back to Willow "Is he on his way?"

"He's already here. Had one of the Cleveland witches teleport him here half an hour ago. Xander is keeping him busy"

Buffy lets out an exasperated sigh. "I better go talk to him"

"You better change first or at least put your shirt on the right way round"

"Huh?" Buffy asks as she looks down at herself. Oh good grief she has got it on backward. "Right change first" she says as she quickly walks off leaving Clark to slowly walk out the training room.

"Am I going to find underwear in there?" Willow asks him.

Clark shrugs really, really embarrassed at being caught like this. Again.

"Well at least the bracelet works I see" Willow says in reference to his bruises. She then peers closer at his neck "Is that a hickey?"

Clark puts his hand to his neck to cover it up. "I should go shower. I'm kinda sweaty"

"Oh I don't know sweaty looks good on you" Michelle says from her place amongst the group of girls.

"Wow Buffy plays rough" Grace says with a smirk Clark is not appreciating.

Clark clicks the bracelet off his wrist and the bruises and all the other marks instantly vanish along with his aches. "I'll be off. You know shower" he says as he walks past the other slayers who watch him go off taking in every detail they can.

Once Clark is gone. "Good lord did you see him?" Rose asks.

"Yeah we all got a good look" Willow says back to her.

"Oh come on. Even you can't stand there and say he isn't attractive" Rose says back to Willow.

"No I can't but even he can't tempt me back to the land of heterosexuality even if he is kinda muscle-y"

"Kinda muscle-y?" Grace asks. "You're kidding right. If that is kinda muscle-y then Brad Pitt is only kinda cute"

"It was a sad, sad day when he took Angelina off the market" Willow comments.

"Why are you upset? You have a girlfriend." Michelle points out.

"How did you…" Willow begins before she works it out. "Xander blabbed didn't he?"

"Yep" about half the girls say.

Willow mutters a few unpleasant things she will do to Xander later. "Right I should sit in on this meeting in case Buffy tries to kill Giles. Renee have you drawn up that list I wanted for LA yet?"

Renee who is right at the back of the group. Hey she may like Xander but she was curious. "The first draft. We need to shave it down a bit but you do realise that very few of the girls that are left are really ready for field work"

"Yeah I do but Angel can train them and apparently Cordelia is a slayer now. Have no idea how that happened but she can help them as well. So bring me the list after this meeting with Giles and it is not the only thing we need to talk about"

"It isn't?" Renee asks.

"You're on the shortlist to take over while Buffy is off on her travels"

"I am?" Renee asks totally shocked at that.

"Renee you're one of the best but we'll talk about it later. I should go see Giles. Do you think I should have mentioned that Faith came as well?"

* * *

"Whoa hold up there Xand. What do you mean Queen C is a slayer?" Faith asks Xander as he fills them in on everything.

"As in she is a slayer. You know the super strength, speed, bitchiness"

Faith narrows her eyes. "You are heading for a beating" she warns him.

"Calm down Faith" Giles tells her even though he is rather shocked at this turn of events himself. "So we're forming an alliance with Angel?" he asks Xander.

"Yep now he is sort of human again and as for Cordy. She has grown Giles. She is not the person you remember"

Giles was glad of that. "Right and Spike really is dead this time"

"Looks like" Xander answers.

Faith snorts "That is not some huge loss but can we get back to why we are here."

"Why are you here Faith?" Buffy asks as she enters the room after getting some new clothes.

"What's up B?" Faith asks.

"Nothing much. Certainly nothing that requires you to be here"

"Speak to the G-man. It was not my idea"

"Giles?" Buffy queries.

"I heard about what you are planning to do. You really think this is the best time to forsake your responsibilities."

"You didn't just say that. My responsibilities should have ended when I died but someone, somewhere decided that I had to come back and I don't mean Willow. Some higher power allowed me to be resurrected and then I came back and I did what I was suppose to. I saved the world twice, well it is more like 4 times now but that is beside the point"

"Hey what did I miss?" Willow asks as she enters.

"Oh Giles was about to explain what is so damned important about me that only I am apparently qualified to lead" Buffy informs her.

"Buffy do I really have to say it?" Giles asks think it is rather obvious about Buffy being of the longest lived slayers ever.

"Giles I could get killed tomorrow. Sooner or later someone else will have to take over and besides I will only be a phone call away. You know you sound like you think I'm going to stop being a slayer. I'm not. I'll be checking up on the other cells as I go but I need to do this" Buffy tells him.

"Need to do Clark more like it" Xander mutters.

Faith hears Xander's mutterings "Clark? Clark is back?"

Then suddenly it all makes sense to Giles "Buffy?"

"Don't Giles. Don't you dare. Yes Clark is back. You know the being with god-like powers who I thought you would be happy is on our side"

"Buffy I have no problem with Clark but…"

Buffy cuts Giles off "It is not because of Clark I am giving this up. Ok it is partially but he is so important to the world, more important than me. I have to make sure he is safe"

Buffy notices the silence from Giles at her words "You have to get use to it Giles. The slayer or slayers are not the most important people in the world anymore. Clark could whip the lot of us if he chose to. Hell Clark could probably whip the entire armed forces of the United States"

"However powerful he is Buffy. He can't be everywhere" Giles points out to her.

"I know that. We all have our part here Giles and my part is beside Clark. There is also another reason I need to go"

"Which is?" Giles enquires.

"Did Xander mention we bumped into Oliver Queen?"

"I hadn't gotten that far" Xander points out.

"Well we did and the day is coming we will form an alliance of some sort with him and I can't be the person who does that. There is too much bad blood between us"

Giles takes his glasses off and cleans them. "Have you decided on a successor?" he asks sensing Buffy's mind seems to be pretty much set on this course.

"We have a shortlist. Will, Xander and I talked about it yesterday" Buffy informs him.

"Am I on it?" Faith asks.

"Yes" Buffy answers.

"Why?" Faith asks in all honesty. She isn't exactly leadership material.

"A few reasons" Buffy answers vaguely not wanting to go into it right now.

Dawn walks in after hearing Giles was here "Hey what's going on?"

"We are discussing Buffy's wish to leave" Giles tells her.

"Oh that. Great idea if you ask me"

"And the fact that you can finally do what you want has nothing to do with it" Xander points out.

Buffy snorts "She will not be doing whatever she wants Xander. I expect you to look after her like you promised you would"

"And I will Buffy" Xander reassures her.

"Hello technically an adult" Dawn reminds them. "So how was your morning Buffy? If the rumours flying around here are true it was very good"

"Dawn!" Buffy warns.

"Ok what did I miss?" Faith asks.

Dawn turns to face Faith. "Oh Buffy and Clark 'worked-out' this morning" Dawn tells Faith while she uses her fingers to put air quotes around the word 'worked-out'.

"It is not what you think" Buffy says defensively.

"Oh so that wasn't a hickey you left on Clark's neck?" Willow asks.

"Well…" Buffy begins unsure what to say next.

"How did you manage to leave a mark on him? Isn't he like invulnerable?" Faith asks.

"Well we found this rock that suppresses his powers. You see his fighting skills needed some work…"

Faith cuts Buffy off "And you volunteered yourself to train him. Sly B. Very sly. I'll have to try that one sometime"

"As fascinating as this is can we get back to the subject at hand?" Giles asks desperately wanting to change subjects.

"What more is there to say Giles?" Buffy asks. "I'll be reachable and Clark can literally fly me back here in minutes in an emergency"

"Whoa. Wait a minute. Fly?" Faith asks.

Oops. Buffy hadn't mentioned that to them yet. "Yeah. Clark can fly now"

"Really. So have you two tried it while floating?" Faith asks.

"God Faith. Is that all you think about?" Buffy asks

"Hey I'm curious. Sue me"

"Well they weren't floating when I walked in on them the other night" Dawn mentions.

"Dawn do not encourage her" Buffy tells her sister.

"That's ok little D. I've already seen it" Faith comments referring back to the time in Smallville.

Clark now arrives, his hair still wet from his shower. He decided Buffy needed his support over this.

Faith looks Clark over in his t-shirt and jeans and glasses? "Hey CK. What's with the glasses?"

"CK?" Clark asks.

"Yeah. I give everyone nicknames and I just think your initials make a good one. I've had a year to think of one you know."

"And that is the best you come up with." Buffy comments dryly. "I think the one Lois has for you is better" she tells Clark.

"What does she call him?" Faith asks somewhat curious.

"Smallville" Buffy answers.

Faith thinks that over. "You know that isn't bad. I'll have to meet this Lois sometime and we'll have to swap tips"

"I would rather you didn't" Clark tells Faith. He so doesn't need that kind of hassle. "And as for the glasses. That is a long story. For now lets just say I'm getting into the habit of wearing them. How are you doing Faith?"

"Five by five. Have you gotten taller?" Faith asks while she looks Clark over. Of course she could mention just still how smoking hot he is but that might be pushing her luck with Buffy.

"What is this? Harass my fiancé day" Buffy wants to know.

"You got engaged B?" Faith asks.

Oh Buffy hadn't mentioned that either. "Yes I did."

"Can I see the ring?"

Buffy holds her hand out and Faith looks the ring over "Not bad at all. I would hock it in a second"

Buffy takes her hand away from Faith "You will not touch my ring Faith" Buffy warns her.

"Relax B. I was kidding. Seriously it is very nice and I'm happy for you"

"Really?" Buffy asks not entirely sure Faith means it.

"Yeah. It must have cost a bit though"

Buffy gets a knowing smile on her face "Not really. Clark made it"

"He what?" Giles asks unsure he heard that right.

"I made the diamond" Clark corrects.

Faith looks at him "How did you do that?"

"I compacted a lump of coal in my hand. You see if you apply enough pressure and heat you can rearrange the carbon atoms of the coal…"

Faith stops Clark before her head explodes "Stop. I haven't the faintest what you are on about. I'll just go with you are impossibly strong and leave it at that"

"Ok. How are you Mr Giles?" Clark asks.

Giles looks over Clark. Faith might be right about him being taller. "I am fine thank you. How are you doing Clark? I assume you have finished your training was it?"

Clark nods "Yes it was and yes I have more or less. There is just the issue of my world tour as it is now being called"

"After we've gotten your combat skills sorted out" Buffy reminds him which causes Clark's shoulders to sag at the prospect of getting beaten up again.

Faith notices Clark's expression. "Come on it can't be that bad. After all from what Dawn tells me you and B had some fun during your 'work-out'" she says as suggestively as possible.

Clark's cheeks heat up. He coughs to make sure his voice isn't squeaky before he answers. "Only if becoming a living bruise can be considered fun"

"What bruises?" Willow asks him after seeing them heal.

"Well they're gone now obviously. I do heal fast"

"Well if you're that worried I could train you" Faith suggests.

"You know that's a good idea" Willow says stirring up mischief. "You know he was training shirtless today"

"Really?" Faith asks.

Willow nods.

Faith looks Clark over "Any particular reason for that?" she asks him.

"Well my shirt was…" he trails off unsure how to explain why it was off.

"I ripped it" Buffy answers wanting to avoid talking about the real reason behind it.

"Yes ripped" Clark says.

Faith snorts. "You know you two are making a lot of fuss 'bout nothing. So you had sex in the training room, big whoop. Well saying that if I recall Clark…"

"Faith stop right there" Buffy warns her cutting her off.

Faith smirks "Sure B and seriously if you feel you need to leave then go. I'll make sure everything is still here when you get back"

Wow Faith was being serious. Buffy was shocked. "Thank you Faith but truthfully we haven't decided who will run things here while I'm away. In fact as long as you're here Giles you can help pick who succeeds me. We were thinking interviews or some sort of test. Anyway everyone on the shortlist will be here tomorrow. So Giles will you stay and help?"

Giles thinks it over. If Buffy really feels she needs to do this he can't really stop her. "Very well Buffy but can I at least see this list first?"

"Oh sure but I doubt you'll find any surprises on it. I'm pretty sure you probably have a fair idea who is on it and oh ignore Xander's highlighting of Renee's name"

"Why?" Giles asks.

"Xander has a crush on her" Dawn answers. "It is actually very funny watching the two of them dance around each other"

"Dawn I am sitting right here" Xander points out.

"I know that. Seriously Xander just get it over with and tell her you like her already" Dawn tells him.

Willow suddenly has an idea "Or do what Buffy did and get her to train you"

That gets a laugh out of Dawn and Faith while Clark and Buffy just look at each other with a resigned shrug at the fact they will probably have to endure the jibes at their expense for a while.

"Thanks a lot Will and at least I haven't been sneaking off to see my secret girlfriend" Xander says in response.

"You have a new girl Red?" Faith asks.

"Erm yeah. Chloe, you know Clark's friend"

"Oh yeah the blonde. Have to say Red you have good taste" Faith comments.

Willow has to say she really does. Hopefully she can find some time to visit Chloe tonight.

* * *

That night Clark and Buffy are lying in bed together. Buffy is snuggling into Clark. She loves how warm and comfy he is.

"How are you with the Spike thing?" he asks her to see if she is coming to terms with it.

Buffy mulls over her response for a second. "I'm ok. I feel better after our little talk today. Thanks for that"

"You're welcome" Clark says and to him she does seem a little less burdened now. "So did you really mean that when you said we won't be leaving until my combat skills are sorted out?" Clark asks her.

"Yep" Buffy answers.

Clark was afraid she would say that. "You just like beating me up don't you?"

Buffy smiles "Yep"

Clark shakes his head and kisses the top of Buffy's head. "So do you have your own favourite on who gets to replace you?"

Buffy sighs "Not really. Maybe Faith. She has grown a lot this last year being with Giles. In some way I'm glad he's here. He'll be good at helping pick the right person"

"How many are actually on this list?" Clark asks her.

"Not that many really. About half a dozen. I still think putting Kennedy's name on it was a mistake"

"Who's Kennedy?"

"Oh right you never met her. She's Willow's ex and tomorrow she'll be here. Can you imagine the fun-ness that'll be?"

Considering he just had a run in with his own ex "Yes. Remember Lana"

"Oh her. What did you see in her?"

"As I said earlier she wasn't always like that. Maybe in time she'll find that person she use to be again"

"You big softy" Buffy comments.

"I like to see the good in people" Clark defends himself.

"Yeah. I think I've gotten cynical but I understand your point." Truthfully Buffy liked the way Clark saw the world in light rather than darkness.

Clark was glad of that. "How are we doing?" he asks having said they would talk about themselves.

"We're doing good. That talk we had today was really enlightening" Buffy says. She really did open up a lot more than she usually does today but she can't keep things from Clark. Truthfully she doesn't want to anymore.

"Yes it was. We'll have to have more talks like that I think so we can really understand each other" Clark says back. After all like he said earlier they didn't have enough time together before he left to get through everything in detail and for once in his life he has someone he has no worries in telling everything to.

"Plenty of time for that" Buffy tells him. They aren't in a rush after all. They have all the time in the world for the moment.

"Yeah there is. So thinking ahead. Which way round the world do you want to go?"

"Oh lets just work our way south and then head over to Europe. By the way I'll mention I'm terrible at languages"

"That's ok. I learned a few over this last year and those I don't know, well I can usually pick them up in about 10 minutes"

"10 minutes? Now you're just showing off" Buffy comments.

"Human languages are fairly easy to pick up. You should try and learn Kryptonian sometime"

"Hmm, hmm. Well I do excel in one language" Buffy tells him.

"Which one?" Clark asks but he is soon answered by Buffy's lips and hands roaming over his body. "Oh that one" he says in a slightly squeaky voice. Yep she really does excel in that one.


	25. Part 2 Chapter 16

"So it sounded like you had a good night last night" Faith comments when she bumps into Buffy on the way to get some breakfast.

Buffy groans. "I was trying to be quiet"

Faith smirks. "You failed but seriously what is it actually like to be with an invulnerable man because it sounds pretty damn good from what I heard last night."

"Faith I think I've mentioned before how I don't talk about stuff like this with you."

"But come on B. How does it even work? He can crush coal into diamonds. I can only imagine what he could do to bones"

"Alright I'll say this much and then we are dropping this. Clark, because of his strength, is acutely aware of how much force objects can absorb and during the first time we met he adjusted his powers to match mine so in a sense he is only as powerful as me when we're together" she explains.

"Sounds like fun"

Buffy gets a very satisfied smile on her face "It is and this is the end of this conversation"

"Sure B. So when do the other potential leaders get here?" Faith asks.

"10 I think" Buffy answers as she and Faith enter the dinning hall to find Kennedy and Willow arguing.

"Looks like someone got here early" Faith comments.

Buffy shakes her head. "Alright! What are you two arguing about this time?" she demands to know. It was their constant arguing that led to their break-up in the first place.

Kennedy and Willow stop arguing for a minute. "This is not an argument. I was just reminding Kennedy how my private life isn't her concern anymore" Willow tells Buffy while shooting an accusatory glance at Kennedy.

"Huh. It wouldn't be if you weren't dating someone who could put us all at risk" Kennedy hits back with.

Willow narrows her eyes "Chloe would do no such thing and I'll ask you not to accuse her of such a thing"

"Oh come off it Will. She is a reporter. You don't think that is putting us at risk"

"No" Willow states. "A reporter means she happens to be very good at keeping secrets"

"You are being seriously naïve you know that" Kennedy tells Willow.

"Ok stop." Buffy says. She is now seriously regretting the fact they put Kennedy's name on that list.

"Oh and you are not much better" Kennedy says turning to Buffy.

"Excuse me?" Buffy asks not amused.

"Don't give me that Buffy. I've heard all about your boyfriend"

"That's fiancé I'll have you know" Buffy corrects.

"Whatever. Bottom line…"

Buffy cuts her off "Bottom line Kennedy is that you say one insulting thing about him and I'll let him beat the crap out of you in the fraction of a second it would take him. You know I thought being in charge of the cell in New York might have mellowed you a bit and from what I have heard this last year you've done a good job so explain to me where all this attitude comes from"

Faith snorts loudly "It's called bitter ex-girlfriend syndrome and seriously K get over it. Relationships end. Move on"

Kennedy is raging "That is not what this is about" she protests.

"Yes it is" Faith says back to her. "Look we all have people we never wanted to lose but it happened anyway. Red has moved on and good for her. Now I suggest you come to terms with it or you can bugger off back to New York"

Kennedy stares at Faith who simply glares back daring Kennedy to take it further. She doesn't and storms off. Faith smiles smugly and then notices Buffy looking at her with an amused expression "What?"

"Bugger?" Buffy asks in reference to where Faith got that word from.

"Dammit. I've been hanging around the G-man too much lately. Must have picked it up from him"

Buffy chuckles "Yeah you must of and I have to say Faith you handled that really well. I was impressed"

Faith was somewhat proud of that compliment. "Thanks B. By the way where is your sex buddy?"

Buffy shakes her head. Now that is the Faith she remembers. "Out getting some sun"

"What do you mean out?" Faith asks.

Buffy points straight up "About 10 miles that way. He says the unfiltered sunlight above the Earth's atmosphere is best for him" she explains. "Now I would like to eat. Worked up an appetite last night you know"

"Yeah I know B. Seriously have you always been that loud?"

"Fraid so" Willow answers. "Oh by the way Faith thanks for dealing with Kennedy. I am so tried of arguing with her"

"No problem Red." Faith tells her as she gets some food.

* * *

After breakfast Buffy goes up to the roof and looks for Clark wondering where he has got to. After all he eats more than she does. She thought he would be back for breakfast. Her attention is caught though by the fact that across from her on the other side of the roof Xander and Renee are in a major make out session.

"Whoa. D wasn't kidding about those two" Faith comments after following Buffy up

"Nope. It's about time. They've been dancing around each other for ages and I would like to see Xander happy. It took him a while to get over Anya's death"

"Yeah"

"So any particular reason you're up here Faith?" Buffy asks her.

"Not really. It's just…does Clark really fly now?" she asks. She had to admit she was really, really curious.

"Yes I do"

Buffy and Faith look up to see Clark glide down and land softly next to them.

"That is awesome" Faith can't help but say.

Buffy smiles brightly "I know. I have the best fiancé ever" She goes over and give him a kiss. "You're even warmer than normal" she comments at the feel of Clark to her lips.

Clark shrugs "It won't last" he tells her and it won't. It is just a temporary side effect of being in more direct sunlight.

"I thought I'd see you at breakfast" Buffy says to him.

"Yeah about that. I like to avoid having to listen who your fellow slayers say about me. It is bad enough they look at me like a lion eyes its prey"

"You're exaggerating a bit" Buffy tells him. Although not by much she would have to admit.

"Not really" Clark mumbles.

"So you were up there hiding from us helpless, little girls" Faith teases.

"No. I was up getting some sun and decided to vaporise some space junk. It's good target practice" Clark tells them. "Erm has Xander even noticed we're here?" he asks Buffy at the sight of him and Renee.

"Nope." Buffy then checks her watch. "Oh nearly time for the other arrivals." she says in reference to the other slayers who might take over from her. "I better go meet and greet but don't think your little combat training sessions are over because they're not"

Clark groans loudly at that.

"Oh suck it up. If you're good and attentive maybe we can leave by the end of the week"

"Is this really necessary Buffy?" Clark asks her.

"Yes and note my version of the resolve face" Buffy tells him.

Faith bursts out laughing "That is your resolve face!? Needs work"

Buffy glares at her "Laugh it up while you can Faith. From what I hear Giles has some wicked ideas for how to test if you're leadership material"

Faith sobers up instantly. She has a feeling that this could be very, very bad.

* * *

When she finds herself groaning flat out on her back in the training room she knew she was right. She pushes herself up "This is daft Giles. How does getting our butts kicked by Clark help?" she asks. She had decided that her nickname for him needed work so she was sticking to Clark for now.

Clark stands next to Giles not even feeling strained in the slightest. He had reluctantly agreed to help out even if he agreed with Faith and couldn't see the point of this test. He had already beat the other 5 much to Kennedy's complaining, more like whining.

"You may face beings of great power in this job Faith. I've giving you a taste of what Buffy endured fighting Glory"

"Hey she had a magical troll hammer" Faith points out to him.

"And Clark is holding back. He could have killed you instantly if he wanted to." Giles sighs. "Faith. You may have to fight beings more powerful than you. You have to learn how to exploit their weaknesses if you wish to survive"

"Yeah but I can't do magic and I don't see any green rocks around do you?"

Giles smiles slightly "If it was in plain sight that would make it a little obvious don't you think Faith or maybe it is"

Faith blinks and then looks around the room. Now what had B said about those rocks?

Giles studies Faith and can see he has at least got her thinking. "Ok Clark I've given her the hint. Time for round 2"

Clark shrugs. The hint hadn't helped the other 5. He superspeeds off and sends her flying to the ground again. "Have to try harder Faith" Clark tells her. "Oh by the way Buffy said if I really wanted to annoy you I should say you have to try harder Miss Lehane"

Faith's eyes narrow and her face darkens "No-one says the surname." She gets to her knees and then she notices the wrist guards they had been given. On one was a little tiny blue stone. In plain sight huh. She begins to fiddle with it, trying to get it off. Suddenly she finds herself hoisted up with ease.

"Give up?" Clark asks her.

Faith puts on one of her smoltry smiles. "Nope. Just getting started" she tells him as she snaps the guard onto Clark's wrist and he drops her instantly.

Clark actually smirks "I was wondering if anyone would figure that out"

"You are going down" Faith tells him and she throws a punch only to find Clark block and counter it.

"Remember trained with Buffy yesterday"

Faith rubs her jaw. "Not bad but you know you can't win"

"All I have to do is rip this off my wrist and you lose but Giles says I have to play nice so give it your best shot Lehane"

Alright that does it. No-one says it twice. Faith is about to kick Clark's butt when a thought occurs to her that perhaps he is trying to wind her up deliberately and force her to strike in anger. She smiles "Nah because that is what you want me to do isn't it Giles?" she asks as she turns to look at him.

Giles smiles. "Very good Faith. You've passed"

Faith smiles smugly and then spins round and punches Clark in the jaw. "Don't ever say my surname again" she tells him.

Clark rubs his jaw "Right got it."

Giles shakes his head while Faith shrugs at his reaction "What? I don't like it my name. Sue me" she says.

"I think we'll put it as a partial pass and note we'll have to work on your surname issues" Giles comments as he makes some notes.

After that they both leave while Clark just stands back up and goes and sits down and stares at the blue stone on his wrist. Once upon a time he would have given anything to find something like this, something to make himself normal. Now after he had finally accepted who he was it felt wrong.

"Oh good you've finished" Buffy says as she wanders in with a smile on her face.

Clark looks up at her and smiles. God she looks so beautiful when she smiles.

"What?" Buffy asks at Clark's smile

"You're beautiful"

"That's sweet and all but it isn't going to help you now and oh look you're wearing the pretty blue stone"

Clark's smile turns into a frown "Buffy. Do we have to do this right now?"

"Yep. Giles is tallying up the scores or something so we've got some time. Besides I don't remember you complaining about the way we finished yesterday"

Clark laughs at that which confuses Buffy. "What?" she asks him.

"Sorry. It's just I never thought I would be able to do a lot of that for as long as I had my powers"

"I understand" Buffy tells him. "I had a normal human boyfriend once and you know it was tricky having to hold back but it wasn't like I didn't enjoy it"

"Yeah as much fun as it is hearing about that Buffy I don't like the images it conjures up. I could point out the time I lost my powers and me and Lana…"

Buffy cuts him off "Alright stop right there. You're right we don't need to rehash all this. I just wanted to say I understand"

Clark stands up and pulls Buffy into him "I know you do and just to put your mind at ease, being with you has been the greatest experience of my life"

Buffy stands on her tiptoes and kisses him "Thank you. It's been a lot of fun for me too but you've put this off for long enough." she tells him as she backs off and assumes a defensive position. "Right I'll let you go first. Lets see what you learned from yesterday"

Clark shakes his head. He has an ominous feeling he's going to have a few bruises by the time this is all over.

* * *

He was right about the bruises. He is just glad they heal as soon as he takes the blue kryptonite off. Right now he, Buffy, Xander, Willow and Dawn are with Giles who has decided who should take over from Buffy.

"Is that a hickey?" Willow asks Xander as she studies his neck.

"Erm yeah" Xander answers

"About time" Dawn announces. "I was beginning to think you'd never get together with Renee"

"Speaking of Renee" Xander begins. "Giles?" Xander asks

"No Xander."

"No you're not telling me or no she wasn't the one you picked?"

"No I didn't pick her. She needs more experience yet but if it makes you feel better I would have no problem with her leading if it came to it"

"Thanks Giles and oh thank you Clark for not beating her too badly" Xander says in reference to her time with Clark.

"Sure no problem" Clark answers.

There is a knock at the door.

"Come in" Giles shouts and in walks Faith.

"You wanted to see me Giles?" Faith asks.

"Yes. Buffy has something for you" Giles tells her.

Faith turns round to find Buffy holding out the slayer scythe. That is when it dawns on her "Me? You want me to lead?"

Buffy nods "Yep. Here take it"

Faith takes it from Buffy "So does this mean I get to order you around now B?"

"Don't push your luck Faith and besides I'll be more of a freelance trouble shooter. If anything comes up just give me a call and Clark will get me there in minutes"

"Right. You sure about this? I'm not exactly a shining example of righteousness" Faith feels the need to point out.

"Neither am I" Buffy points out. "Well Willow, Xander I leave her in your capable hands. I'll be around for a few more days and then Clark and I will be gone but all decisions you run through Faith." Buffy takes Clark's hand. "Come on Clark"

Clark lets Buffy drag him off "Buffy. Where are we going?"

"Away. I don't need to know any more. If I know I'll have to do something or add an opinion. That isn't my job anymore"

"Are you ok giving this up? I never really asked"

Buffy smiles "Yeah I am. I'm tired of all this destiny of the chosen one crap. I want to be with you. When I'm with you I feel free again. Free to live my life the way I want but if they need me I'll be here for them in an instant"

"I know you will"

Buffy drags Clark back to her room and as soon as the door is shut she leaps on him attacking his mouth hungrily.

Between kisses "Erm Buffy not that I'm complaining but why are we doing this right now?" Clark asks

"Like I said, I want to be with you or perhaps I should say…" Buffy lowers her voice to a whisper "I want you in me"

"Oh ok but only under protest" Clark jokes causing Buffy to chuckle.

"I love you Clark Kent" Buffy tells him.

"I love you Buffy Summers" Clark says back.

* * *

A few days later and in Clark's case many bruises later as Buffy worked on his fighting skills and the two of them get ready to leave.

"Xander. You look after Dawn or else" Buffy warns him as they stand outside the entrance to slayer HQ.

"You can count on me Buffster"

Buffy turns her attention to her sister "Dawn I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with…"

Dawn cuts her off "You don't need to say it Buffy and I promise you I'm not upset you're going. Truthfully I think you need this"

"Wow you grew up and I missed it didn't I?"

Dawn smiles "Fraid so but I forgive you. Be careful out there and remember when you do actually get around to getting married I'm coming out with you to celebrate the night before and there will be male strippers"

Buffy frowns at her "Dawn Summers!"

Dawn chuckles and throws her arms around her sister. "Seriously be careful and know I do love you"

"I love you too Dawnie"

"Why don't I get a hug?" Xander complains.

"And make Renee jealous? Nah but Will on the other hand…" Buffy tells Xander just as she hugs Willow.

"Buffy…too tight" Willow struggles to get out.

"Oh right sorry" Buffy says as she lets go.

"Tell Chloe I'll keep my word and write to her" Clark tells Willow.

"Consider it done." Willow replies.

Buffy turns her attention to Giles "Giles. Truthfully there are too many things I would like to say so I'll just stick to thank you for everything you've done for me"

"You don't need to thank me Buffy and if this is something you have to do then go do it the best you can"

Finally Buffy gets to Faith. "Don't waste any mushy stuff on me B."

"I'm not going too. I don't have to. I know you'll take care of things so I'll just say see you soon"

With that Buffy picks up her bag and walks over to Clark. "Right Clark come on. Time to go"

Clark picks her up and hovers a few feet off the ground. "Well bye everyone and if you need me I'm always around"

Clark flies off upward. "You know that is so corny" Buffy comments.

"But very true. I am always around somewhere" Clark says to her.

"You have a point I guess. So where to first?"

"Well I have always wanted to see London" Clark tells her.

"Yeah that's a good place to start. Lots of underground tunnels there. Keeps the London cell busy. Maybe we could give them a hand"

"You know I'll do anything you want"

"I know" Buffy tells him with a kiss and then squeezes her arms around his neck. She loves flying with him and here they are now flying off to the next stage of their lives.

End of Part 2.

* * *

Author's Note: So I'll end part 2 here and pick up part 3 with Buffy and Clark's world tour. I hope to get it up soon. Thanks for all the reviews.


	26. Part 3 Chapter 1: Paris I

**The Last Son and the Slayer Part 3**

Summary: Part 3 of my Entwined Destinies Saga as Buffy and Clark embark on their travels around the world. What adventures will they have?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters I use in this story.

Author's Note: So here is my continuing adventure of Buffy and Clark. Sorry it has taken so long.

* * *

Chapter 1: Paris I

The sound of ringing breaks through Buffy's sleep. For a moment she thinks it is that stupid alarm clock that use to mock her with its buzzing and ringing in its attempts to wake her up in time for school. However she suddenly remembers that that alarm clock is at the bottom of the crater that use to be Sunnydale, California. Buffy opens her eyes and looks around the room. Of course the first thing in view is the chest of her fiancé upon which she is sleeping. A smile flits across her lips as she remembers just what she and Clark were doing before they fell asleep. God she has the best fiancé ever. After all they are so few men who can keep up with a slayer's sexual drive.

Buffy frowns. That ringing is still here. Now where is it coming from?

"It's your phone," Clark mumbles in his sleep almost psychically knowing her question.

Oh…right…phone. Now where did she leave it? Buffy rolls to the side and there is her phone sitting on the bedside table. She picks it up and frowns at the caller ID. She answers it. "This better be really good Will."

"I didn't interrupt anything did I?" Willow asks in mock naïve innocence.

"Will. Buffy very sleepy here," Buffy says with a yawn trying to get Willow to get to the point.

"Ah. Still at the 'doing it like bunnies' stage of our relationship are we," Willow teases.

Buffy shakes her head. She is sure there was a time Willow would not have said something like that. Of course right now her sleep addled brain can't recall said time but she is sure there was one.

"How's Paris?" Willow asks moving on.

Oh that's right. Buffy remembers now. They're in Paris. After they left Scotland they spent some time in London. It had its moments. She got to the tourist-y thing she had always secretly wanted to do and both she and Clark helped out the London slayer cell. Clark's ability to see even in pitch dark tunnels was really useful. He also spent time talking to all the native British members of the Slayer cell as part of his quest to better understand humanity. By the time they left London Buffy was positive quite a few of them had crushes on Clark. Anyway after that they hopped or more accurately flew across the English Channel to France and ended up in Paris.

"It's fine," Buffy says in answer to Willow.

"Yes I can see that from the credit card bill we got. Been doing a little shopping have we?" Willow asks getting to the reason she was calling, well why Giles was making her call.

Buffy a little more awake now starts to grin. Oh yeah. She had had a great time shopping especially for certain pieces of lingerie for her beloved fiancé which is why she is very tired at this precise moment. She can still remember the look on Clark's face when he saw her and the glow in his eyes which indicated she had achieved the intended result.

"Buffy. You still there?" Willow asks at the silence.

"I'm here. Let me guess. Giles made you call."

"Yep."

"I didn't spend that much," Buffy sleepily protests.

"Well according to Giles you did and he wants to know what you spent it on."

"No he doesn't."

"Buffy he isn't here or listening in so come on spill."

"It wasn't that much. It was just a few things to make Clark happy."

"Uh huh. These wouldn't be things that are worn…oh I don't know…in the bedroom by any chance?"

How does she do that Buffy wonders about her red headed friend. "Um do I have to answer that?"

"It is probably better you didn't but answer me this did Clark appreciate them?"

Before Buffy can answer her phone is snatched away. "Yes he did very much," Clark tells Willow. Buffy and Willow's conversation had woken him up.

"Clark!" Buffy exclaims before she grabs the phone back wondering what had happened to that shy farm boy she had first fallen in love with. She puts the phone back to her ear in time to catch Willow laughing her ass off. "Alright Will. I think that is enough."

Willow gathers herself. "Sorry. It seems you have had an effect on him but I'm not sure it is a positive one," she jokes.

"I think it is a very positive one," Clark whispers in Buffy's ear before trailing kisses down, what he knows is, her very sensitive neck.

Buffy involuntary tilts her head allowing Clark better access and moans.

"Buffy?" Willow inquires at the moan.

"I'll…I'll have to get back to you later Will," Buffy says before she loses all self-control. She hangs up the phone and allows herself to get lost in the feeling of Clark nuzzling into her neck. She groans as Clark's hands reach round her from behind and start caressing her. Clark was a very quick learner and he had very quickly discovered all her sensitive spots which he was now very expertly turning his attention to. "Claaark," Buffy groans out.

"Yes sweetheart," Clark says while not letting up on the exquisite torture of his fiancée.

"I really need to sleep sometime," Buffy weakly protests.

"Uh huh. You should have thought of that before you bought that red lingerie," he feels the need to point out. Even now the mere thought of what she looked like in that is enough to send his heart pumping. She has no idea what she does to him. Before he met her he was practically a monk apart from the few weeks he was mortal.

Clark's hands slip south and that is it as far as Buffy as concerned. "Alright mister you have asked for this," she says as she spins round and quite forcible shoves Clark down onto his back and sets about her own form of exquisite torture. After all she had figured out just where exactly Clark has sensitive spots on his otherwise invulnerable body.

Clark is rather chuffed how his plan has worked. He has to admit he loves it when Buffy takes charge and even though she is nowhere as strong as him, she is strong enough that he can embrace the feelings that run through to a far greater extent than he could ever dream with a normal human being.

A little later Buffy collapses down on top of Clark after another wonderful session of lovemaking. "Had enough?" she asks rather breathless.

Clark grins wickedly. "Nope but I'll go easy on you and surrender anyway."

Buffy chuckles before she raises her head and looks Clark in the eye. "I love you."

Clark gently moves a sweaty lock of her hair behind her ear and gives her a kiss. "I love you too."

Buffy lays her head back down. "I'm just going to lie here for a few…days."

Clark laughs. Even though he won't admit it right now even he is a little tired. He isn't without limits after all.

Buffy ignores his laughter and simply sighs contentedly before she drifts off to sleep.

* * *

Stupid sunlight is Buffy's immediate thought as she is awoken by light hitting her face. Being a slayer means she has never really been a morning person. Of course her current tiredness has nothing to do with slaying although she will get around to that when she and Clark meet up with the slayer cell that resides in Paris. She had wanted to do the tourist-y thing first. Notre Dame, Champs-Elysées, the Eiffel Tower. It was fun. Now why is she lying on a bed when she distinctly remembers falling asleep on top of Clark.

Buffy opens her eyes to find herself alone in her bed in the hotel room she and Clark decided to stay in. She looks around and sees…roses? Buffy sits up and looks around the room. Lots of roses…everywhere. She can't believe Clark did this for her.

"Do you like them?"

Buffy turns to the doorway to find Clark with a tray carrying what she assumes to be breakfast. "They're gorgeous Clark but you didn't have to do this."

Clark sits on the bed next to her. "I know. I wanted to. You once said the world isn't all sunshine and roses."

Buffy smiles realising what he has done. "Yeah I did."

"Well for this morning at least it is." Clark leans over and kisses her ever so gently.

God, Buffy can't believe how sweet Clark is to do this for her. Her other boyfriends…well Spike and Angel had a couple of centuries of bloody slaughter behind them. Angel brooded and Spike would never dream of being this 'sappy' as he would phrase it and as for Riley…too much military training and discipline even though he had his romantic moments to be fair to him. She briefly wonders what Riley is up to these days and if he is even still alive.

"I brought you breakfast," Clark says breaking Buffy out of her musings.

"Oh thank you."

Clark places the tray down next to her. Even though getting enough roses had taken a little work the smile that adorned Buffy's face made it worth it. He watches her as she begins to eat. He has to say so far this trip is going great. He and Buffy are getting along no problem so far and as his mother pointed out to him, in some ways this trip together is good for them. They would spend time together and he supposes see if they have any habits that annoy each other and they could talk more about each other's lives.

London had been interesting. He had never been to London before. He and Buffy hit the tourist trail for a little while and he had loved how happy it seemed to make her. Of course he did eventually get into his mission to better understand the peoples of the world. The slayers he met had been really interesting to talk to and he even helped them out with a little bit of slaying, as Buffy insists he calls it. He smiles briefly at the stunned look on the girls faces when they first saw him use his heat vision on a vampire.

"You not eating anything?" Buffy asks as she pops a piece of a croissant in her mouth.

"I already ate Buffy. You may not have noticed that it is actually quite late and you know I wake up with the sun."

Buffy shrugs. Truthfully she hadn't noticed the time yet. "Is it still morning?"

Clark chuckles. "Yes but not by that much. Maybe I should have called this brunch."

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"I didn't want to disturb you. You look _so_ sweet when you're asleep."

Buffy frowns. Sweet? She's a slayer. Slayers shouldn't be sweet. She is meant to be the thing scary things are afraid of. Not sweet. Before she can point this out to Clark her phone rings again. Clark retrieves it from the bedside table. "It's Willow," he tells her.

Buffy takes the phone. "Hey Will."

"Hey Buffy. You never got back to me like you promised so I decided to call you. Sooo am I interrupting anything this time?"

Buffy rolls her eyes. "Only me eating Will and by the way why were you calling in the middle of the night before?"

"Oh I had my reasons."

Buffy mutters when she realises what those reasons were. "You hoped to catch me and Clark out didn't you?"

Buffy can almost hear Willow smirk. "Maybe."

Buffy notices that unlike last night Clark has the good grace to blush at that.

"Oh by the way Clark Chloe loved your letter from London," Willow mentions knowing that Clark can hear her.

"And she couldn't phone herself why?" Clark asks back. After all he left her his number just in case she needed him in an emergency and well just to talk really. She is still his best friend.

"Um…can't answer that one sorry," Willow says.

Clark may just have to phone Chloe and ask her he thinks. After all he promised to write to her when he was away because that is easier than some long conversation on the phone. In fact during his time in London he found he liked writing about what he did even if he had to selectively edit some of it to leave out vampires, demons and slayers.

"So how are things at HQ?" Buffy asks her friend.

"Oh nothing too unusual. You'll be glad to know Faith is doing a bang up job and oh we hooked up Angel to the slayer network last week and left him a cell to train." Willow then laughs. "Oh god the look on his face was priceless when he found out that Angel and Angelus were sort of icons to a bunch of horny teenagers."

Buffy smiles widely. She can so imagine the look on Angel's face. "How did Cordy take that?"

Willow laughs loudly. "Oh I think we should be real thankful that she doesn't have heat vision like Clark otherwise we would have a few less slayers on our books."

Buffy laughs too. "Yeah I can imagine. How about Fred or Illyria or whatever she is now. I heard some stories about that when I was in London."

Buffy is of course referring to the fact Illyria and Fred's essences merged into one being. "Yeah that was weird I must say," Willow mentions. She had gone over and hooked Angel up to the network and seen the new Illyria. In fact she helped a lot with the techy bits of it.

"How's Dawn?" Buffy asks in regard to her sister.

"Oh she's good. You want to talk to her?"

"I don't know. Do I? I don't want to come across like I don't trust her to be by herself without me checking up every 5 minutes," Buffy tells Willow with some concern since Dawn doesn't always react well to her prying.

Willow thinks Buffy is exaggerating a little. "You've managed so far and hey remember I phoned you."

Buffy bites into a piece of toast. "There's that. Ok put her on."

"Dawn!" Willow yells causing Buffy to hold the phone away from her ear.

"Hey sis," Dawn greets Buffy over the phone.

"Hey Dawn. How are you?" Buffy asks while chewing on her toast.

"Buffy are you eating again?" Dawn asks incredulously.

"What do you mean again? I'll have you know this is my breakfast. I had a lie in for once."

"Oh I get it."

"Get what?" Buffy asks rather puzzled.

"Clark being wearing you out has he."

Clark who is still sitting on the bed next to Buffy blushes once more while Buffy shakes her head and having no idea how her sister became so…so blunt. "Dawn," Buffy pleads.

"What? Oh please Buffy I'm a grown up now. I know all about the little facts of life like the fact you and Clark are having lots and lots of sex. In fact I bet you secretly love the fact that you've found someone who can actually keep up with you."

While it is actually true that Buffy does love the fact Clark can keep up with her and then some, she is certainly not about to admit it or even discuss it with her little sister. "That is not a topic I am discussing with you Dawn. When do you go back to college?"

"Err soon."

Buffy catches the slight hesitation there. "Ok Dawn what have you done now?"

"Nothing!" Dawn protests.

"Uh huh. Not buying it."

Dawn groans. "I'm just going to a different college than we originally discussed that is all," she reluctantly admits to Buffy.

"And where is this college?" Buffy asks.

"California."

Buffy rolls her eyes. "This wouldn't be the same one Connor is going to by any chance is it?"

"Um maybe. I don't know for certain."

Buffy sighs. That is Dawn speak for she looked it up and yep it is definitely the same college. She just knew that Angel's son would be trouble from the second Dawn went all googly eyed over him. "Well I know I can't stop you, well actually I could but I've decided to be all grown up and accept you have to make your own decisions. Just promise me you'll stay out of trouble."

"Only if you promise me you won't get Angel to watch over me for you."

Buffy frowns. Damn. Dawn is onto her. "What makes you think I would do that?" she asks in a too innocent sounding tone of voice.

Dawn snorts. "Because I know you Buffy."

"Dawn. You still need someone you can turn to in an emergency and Angel will make the best choice since he is closest."

"Oh alright," Dawn concedes. "But I don't want him hovering over me 24 hours a day."

"Agreed."

"Well I have to start packing," Dawn tells Buffy. "I love you."

"I love you too Dawnie," Buffy says before hanging up the phone.

"You handled that well," Clark comments.

Buffy smiles brightly at his praise. "Really?"

Clark nods. "Yep. You must be maturing or something," he jokes.

"Wow and it only took me until I was 24," Buffy jokes in mock praise of herself.

Clark chuckles and gives her a kiss. "A very young looking 24. I only hope I look that good when I'm 24."

"Oh god I had forgotten that you're younger than me," she says because Clark looks…looks…well the phrase 'like a Greek God' comes to mind. A sudden thought comes to her followed by a cheeky little grin forming on her face. "Hey does that make you my toyboy?"

"Depends," Clark says, his voice low and husky.

"Depends on what," she says back her voice suddenly breathy.

Clark says nothing but kisses her slowly, deeply, lovingly. Now Buffy has been kissed by a few people, some of who had centuries of experience yet none make her heart flutter the way Clark does when he kisses her.

"What were we talking about?" Buffy asks once the kiss ends having lost all recollection of their conversation.

Clark smiles at his ability to do that to her. "You were going to phone Angel and tell him about Dawn."

"I was?"

"Well no but I thought I would remind you to do so before it completely slipped your mind."

"Um ok. Thanks. Hey ready to meet the slayers tonight? You can impress them with your language skills. After all you do have a very talented tongue."

"Je vous aime. Votre beauté est sans compare," Clark says in a demonstration.

"Ok I got the I love you bit. What was the rest?"

"Your beauty is without compare."

"Ah. That is totally true."

"Wow you're not vain or anything are you?"

"Nope I'm pretty much perfect."

"I would argue with that except for the fact that it is the truth."

"You're biased."

Clark scoffs at that. "Nah. How could you think that?"

Buffy can't hold it in any longer. Ever since they started this little dialogue she had been holding it back but no longer and she laughs loudly. "Oh wow is this conversation surreal."

Clark kisses her once more. "I love it when you laugh."

"Well it is all your fault. I was just fine being miserable then you came along and had to cheer me up."

"Hey you came to my hometown," Clark reminds her.

Buffy gently slaps him on the arm. "Just go. I have to phone Angel and hey I'm still naked here."

"So? I have no problem with the naked part."

"Just go before I insist on training you again."

Clark gets up so not wanting that. She still has that piece of blue kryptonite. "I'll meet you downstairs when you're ready," he tells her before he exits the room.

Buffy watches him leave. God she loves him and she has been a lot happier since she met him. He just seems to be able to wash away all the darkness and grief in her life. He makes her feel good and more than just physically. He is slowly dragging her back from the cynicism she had built up living on the Hellmouth for 7 years. For the first time in a long time she has real genuine hope that tomorrow will be better and not just another endless battle against the forces of darkness. Oh well enough introspection, wow where did she pick that word up from? Anyway she better phone Angel and make sure he looks after Dawn.

* * *

She glides soundlessly around the house. She could almost be mistaken for a ghost. Well she is dead but she is far from a ghost. The house's previous occupant lies on the floor, waiting for nightfall when they will rise again. She had wanted a new pet, a new playmate for Miss Edith for a while and this one seemed to fit the bill.

She needed to plan. The stars had sung to her. The nasty slayer was in the town. The one that took away her Daddy and her William but the song the stars sung was changing. There was something new, something different with her. A fallen star. It was all bright and full of goodness. She could see the dark world she lived in slipping away.

She had to act, had to plan. She would need more pets. She needed a new family. Then she would send a message. The fallen star made Buffy happy the stars told her and she couldn't allow that. No. No more happiness for Buffy. She would make sure of it. No more happiness. Not ever. Just death and blood.


	27. Part 3 Chapter 2: Paris II

Chapter 2: Paris II

Emma had been given the job of leading the Paris slayers. She was the oldest French slayer and according to Andrew, who had helped train her, a most talented one. She had found Andrew very strange but he seemed nice underneath it all. Now Buffy Summers, the Buffy Summers was coming to town. When Emma's slayer powers had been activated she had seen Buffy. All the new slayers had. They were all connected. They all shared the slayers collective memories but Buffy was legendary and her life stood out in their memories.

Emma hadn't really been told why Buffy was coming. She knew Buffy had quit as being leader of the slayers but again the reason was lacking. Buffy had become a freelance or something like that. She would go where there was a trouble hot-spot but in the meantime she was travelling the world with her fiancé, Emma thinks Willow had said.

Now Emma had heard some rumours about him but she hadn't put much stock in them. An alien. Right! Demon she would buy. Alien. Not a chance. Her closest friend Camille joins Emma in the kitchen. "How are the girls?" Emma asks.

"Getting ready for the evening patrol," Camille answers.

Emma nods. Her cell had only really been brought together in the last few months but they had made progress in that time. Before Willow cast the spell slayers had always been alone. One girl fighting the darkness. Now they were never alone and the demons and vampires they fought paid the price of that. For the first time in history they had a chance to take the offensive. At least that was what Emma was told was the long term strategy when she was being trained.

"So Buffy Summers is coming? I can't tell you the stories I have heard about her," Camille says, the excitement in her voice evident.

"I've heard the same Camille."

"Yeah I know. Personally I'm looking forward to seeing her fiancé. I heard stories about him too."

Emma rolls her eyes. Camille was her friend but she was also quiet aggressive when it came to men which Emma was sure would get her into trouble one day. "Camille. Remember he's taken," she warns her friend.

"Hey I can still look. Besides I've never seen an alien before and from what I hear he's a smoking hot alien with these dreamy blue eyes."

Emma shakes her head. She still won't buy this alien stuff. Then the doorbell rings.

"Ooh I bet that's them," Camille says excitedly as she heads for the front door with Emma following. Camille opens the door and…wow. Standing there is a tall, obviously muscular man with dreamy blue eyes. God she is in love already. A feeling emphasised when the man greets her in perfect French.

By the time Emma gets to the door she can see Camille is already in fantasy, daydream land. She not so gently gently prods Camille in the back and then turns her attention to their guests. Buffy she recognises and the man she assumes is the fiancé and Emma has to admit he is very handsome. "Hello. I'm Emma," she greets them in accented English.

Buffy and Clark had made their way to the HQ of the Paris slayer cell that evening like she had told Willow. Buffy likes helping out and checking up on them which was technically what she promised to do and Clark would no doubt spend the next few days chatting to the slayers in his quest to better understand humanity and the girl who answered the door is drooling over Clark. Sheesh. They're here 10 seconds and someone is already drooling over him. It was bad enough when they were in London. Does she have to put up with this everywhere they go and yes she knows she is being insecure and paranoid. Of course that doesn't stop her from wrapping her arms around Clark as a sure sign that he is hers.

The second girls introduces her as Emma who Buffy knows is the head of this cell. "Hi I'm Buffy and this is Clark. I think you were expecting us."

"Yes we were," Emma answers as she gestures for them to come in. Camille is back in the present even if she is glancing at Clark every so often as they head for the kitchen. "The other girls are getting ready for the patrol. Before we leave we have a briefing. I'll assign you to a team if you want."

"That would be great," Buffy sassy before adding, "I'm not here to step on your toes or anything like that Emma. You're in charge. Clark and I will go where you want us to." Buffy had the feeling back in London that the leader there feared she was coming to take over or something so she said this there as well.

Emma is grateful for Buffy's words.

"I'm also here to learn how you do things. You may have a better way than someone else. It could be useful to know. Also if you feel support is lacking in some way or you need anything else you let me know and I'll harass Willow and Xander on your behalf," Buffy informs Emma with a slight playful tone at the harassing Willow and Xander bit.

"Thank you Buffy," Emma says gratefully. Not that she had any serious complaints. The support mechanism Willow had set up was a good one.

Clark meanwhile while listening in hadn't missed the looks the other girl was giving him. He had seen that look quite a few times in his life and it still made him uncomfortable when girls would lust after him. Honestly he didn't understand exactly what it was they saw when they looked at him. He really needs to wear the glasses more often but since he is helping patrol that would be rather pointless.

So Clark ends up going along with one group of girls while Buffy ends up on another.

"You speak good French," Emma comments to Clark. She had decided to go along with Clark while she had left Camille with Buffy.

"Thanks," he says while he x-rays the graveyard they are in. "I'm good at picking up things."

"I don't mean to pry but are you really…"

"from another planet?"

Emma nods.

"Yep." Clark looks up briefly and points. "It is about 3 galaxies away in that direction or at least it was."

"Was?" Emma queries.

"It blew up," Clark explains.

"Oh I am so sorry. What about your people?"

"Gone. I am all that is left."

Emma places her hand on Clark's arm in a gesture of sympathy. Clark looks down and smiles at her gently before his hearing picks up wood splintering nearby. He points at a recent grave. "There. It will be up shortly."

Emma blinks. "How can you be so certain?"

Clark chuckles. "Super hearing and x-ray vision."

Before Emma can take that in a hand punches through the surface. She signals to one of the newer girls. They all have to be broken in at some point. "Now remember what we said. Newborns are mad with thirst."

The girls looking slightly nervous nods and walks forward to battle the newly risen vampire. Clark looks on torn. Buffy had explained to him back in London that Slayers needed to be blooded but he hates standing on the sidelines when he has the power to destroy the vampire in a fraction of a second.

It turns out he needn't have worried too much. Fighting is instinctual for slayers and the girl succeeds in killing the vampire fairly quickly. It is then another vampire jumps at the girl suddenly from nowhere. In the blink of an eye Clark is moving and he catches it before the vampire can reach her. "Now that was just rude," Clark says rather annoyed.

The vampire, a fairly large male, looks on in total shock at the man who has him in an iron grip. "What are you?"

"The last thing you will ever see," Clark says and the last thing the vampire does see are two glowing eyes as Clark reduces it to dust.

"He shines brightly," she says as she looks on at the scene from a discreet distance away partly hidden by a tree.

"Yes he does," her companion says in agreement.

Drusilla gently strokes the cheek of her new childe. "He rejected you for that nasty old slayer didn't he my poor dear Lana lamb."

Lana's eyes flash yellow for a moment at the memory of being rejected by Clark. "We'll make her pay. You promised me we would."

Drusilla kisses Lana on the cheek. "Of course we will." Drusilla has such high hopes for this one. She could sense the burning rage within her long before she turned her and now she had unleashed it to its full beautiful glory.

Lana smiles cruelly. "We can get him to do it. I know how to affect him, change him, bring out his inner darkness."

Drusilla likes that idea. The slayer would fall at the hands of her beloved. How beautifully poetic that is but they need to do other things first. Drusilla takes Lana's hand and drags her off skipping. "Lets us go make a new family. We'll need them to help against all those nasty little girls."

Lana laughs softly. Yes her sire may be insane but she finds something wonderful in it. Something she had never appreciated before but does now. Maybe that is what drew her to Drusilla in the first place. After the Green Arrow had dumped her off at her apartment Lana has packed a bag and come to Europe. She needed time to come to terms with what had happened with Clark and his double. That double that had shown her more affection in a few months than Clark had even shown her and what did Clark do when he does show up?

He rejected her. That is what he did and worse he had got himself engaged to the little blond slayer. Her new mummy had told her all about 'Buffy'. Lana had felt something from the moment she met Drusilla. She had been a mere human but she still felt something. She had been in Paris only a few days when they first met. A few days was all it took before she invited Drusilla into her home and then…Lana closes her eyes as she remembers what happened. She had told Drusilla everything and Drusilla promised that she could take all the pain away and Lana agreed.

Lana can still remember the feeling as Drusilla bit into her neck. It wasn't painful at all. It was pleasurable and Lana welcomed it. Death was preferable to all the pain she was suffering but she didn't die. Not exactly anyway. She was reborn and it felt even better than that time she had been infected by that virus. That was only a mere shadow of what being a true vampire feels like. Her old human self had tried to forget what it had been like when she has been infected. How pathetically weak she had been but no longer. Now she was strong and as for Clark. Well she won't tell her dear new mummy this but she has her own plans for Clark. Plans she will put into motion as soon as that 'Buffy' is out of her way. Lana almost growls at the thought of that girl. That girl is going to pay for destroying her life and from what her mummy says Slayer blood is exquisite. Lana can hardly wait to find out for herself.

Buffy, meanwhile, is trying not to dislike Camille and her less than subtle probing about Clark. Seriously, does Camille really expect Buffy to go into her and Clark's love life?

To be blunt it isn't her business and Buffy is certainly not discussing it with someone she has only known a few hours. She silently sighs. That damn slayer grapevine means she will probably have to put up with this whenever they meet a slayer cell. You mention demons you barely get a modicum of interest but Clark being an alien somehow merits far more attention. Ok when Clark first told her Buffy was a little surprised. You know someone says alien you think green skin not a perfectly human looking man. Of course it doesn't matter what Clark is because he has a soul and Buffy of all people knows what a difference that makes.

"So can I ask why you quit being the leader?" Camille asks changing the subject when it became clear Buffy was not going to answer her queries.

Buffy shrugs slightly. "I just felt it was time to move on. I've been leading the fight against evil for the last 8 years and while I will still continue to fight it my place is beside Clark now."

"Why?"

"Because someone needs to look after him."

"I heard he was invulnerable," Camille mentions slightly confused.

"That doesn't mean he doesn't need to be looked after. No man is an island unto himself." Buffy then chuckles. "I finally understand what that means now."

Camille doesn't. "What does that mean?"

"It means that it is the connection we have with each other that keeps us grounded, keeps us sane, keeps us from falling into despair. Sometimes that connection can be all we have. In Clark's case it keeps him connected to humanity and that is the most philosophical I get."

"It can seem endless sometimes," Camille says mentioning the patrols they perform every night.

"That is because we only just finished setting up. Now we have this network of cells we can proactively take on the demons and the vampires and any other minion of hell that wants to try its luck. When it was only one of us it was always a defensive war we were fighting. Taking on one big bad after another. Just doing enough to prevent the world's end until we were killed and the next one of us would be called."

"Didn't you die?"

Buffy nods. "Twice to be technical but hopefully you won't have to suffer that because," Buffy looks around at the other girls walking with them, "because now we are never alone."

Camille takes in Buffy's words. She had never considered what the slayers before her had really gone through. She has their memories that appear in her dreams but since they are full of death and violence she tries real hard not to dwell on them. Maybe she should and maybe realise that she has it a lot better than her predecessors.

Buffy can see her words have Camille deep in thought. Good. Yes Buffy knows that she is only a teenager but in this job you have to grow up fast or die but now that they are never alone hopefully she will get that chance to actually grow up.

* * *

"Have fun?" Clark asks Buffy when she gets back to their hotel room.

Buffy nods. "Yeah. Got to dust a newborn. I had forgotten how relaxing that was."

"Relaxing?" Clark queries.

Buffy shrugs as she sits on the bed and starts to take her shoes off. "It is hard to explain. Newborns are so mad with hunger that they are sloppy making it a good workout but not particularly trying," she says as she tips her shoe upside down and vampire dust falls out. She hates it when she gets vampire dust in her shoes. "I heard you probably saved one of the girl's tonight."

Clark is now the one to shrug. "I saw it leap out and reacted. Nothing too strenuous for me."

Buffy shakes her head as she peels her jacket off. "It's amazing. I am just a little bit stronger than a vampire but to you they're nothing aren't they."

"I'm not sure how you want me to answer that."

"I don't. Not really. I'm just thinking out loud."

Clark sits down next to her. "Buffy. What is bothering you?"

She turns her head and looks at him as he looks at her with gentle concern. She smiles back at him. "Nothing Clark. Like I said I am just thinking out loud."

"Yeah I knew I was I trouble as soon as you said you were thinking."

"Oh please. How can you possibly know that? There is no way we have spent enough time together to know that."

Clark smiles teasingly. "You aren't denying it."

Buffy blinks. How in blazes can he know her so well.

Clark takes her hands into his and gently strokes the back of them. "Buffy. Seriously I know you are a smart, intelligent woman. It doesn't take more than a few minutes in your company to see that and that this slightly airhead-y thing you project is an act."

"Says the man who wears glasses and pretends he is a geek."

"Well it is more of an exaggeration of my personality than an actual act."

"Well yeah that is true and by the way 'airhead-y' is not a word."

"Well if you can get away adding Ys to the end of words so can I."

Buffy frowns slightly. "You know maybe it is time we shared stories again."

"Sure. What do you want to know? I have many a story where I screwed up or was left deeply disturbed like the time I woke up to find I was in a mental hospital and that my life as I had known it was a delusion."

Buffy's jaw actually drops. "No way!"

"What?" Clark asks slightly confused.

"That exact same thing happened to me."

"Really?"

Buffy nods. "Yeah I was poisoned by some demon and almost killed my friends. You?"

"One of the Phantoms was trying to take over my body but to do that it had to trick me into giving in, submitting to its will so it created that fantasy."

"Huh," Buffy comments.

"Yeah. Kind of weird that we both went through something like that."

"Did the phantom offer you some dream life if you submitted?"

"Yes and no."

"I don't understand."

"It offered me a life with Lana but only after it had taken Chloe away from me. Chloe was killed in the fantasy and I felt so broken. She was the one who believed in me and she died for it. After her death I just wanted to give up, submit."

"So did I for a moment in my fantasy. If I killed my friends it would signal that I had accepted my life was a fantasy and to sweeten the deal in the supposed real world my parents were together and happy and not divorced and living with secretaries half their age in Spain. Not that I'm bitter or anything."

"I don't understand how your father could just leave you like that. You know shun his responsibilities." That really annoys Clark.

"Don't work yourself up over it Clark. My father weighed it up and decided his secretary was more important than his children. I learned to accept it."

"You shouldn't have had to."

Buffy leans forward and gives him a kiss. "You're a good person Clark but the world isn't…"

"all sunshine and roses. I know."

"I know you do. Look. I'm going to have a shower because I have vampire dust in places it has no business being and then we should go to bed and we can discuss this more tomorrow. After all we're going to be here for a couple of weeks yet."

"Right and where is this vampire dust?"

Buffy can see a sudden sexual interest in Clark's eyes indicated by their slight orange glow. "Well you know it is some hard to reach places. Maybe you could help me with that?"

Clark grins. "Maybe."

Buffy can't stop the smile that comes to her lips. "For an alien you are an awful like every other guy on this planet."

"In what way?"

"You just want to get into my pants."

"And this is a problem?"

In truth not really. The slayer part of her that craves sex and violence has no problem whatsoever with the fact she gets lots of satisfying sex. "Ok but before we get down to it I would just like to say that I love you in spite of your blatantly male impulses."

"Well I love you in spite of your blatantly female impulses."

"What impulses?"

"Shopping."

"That is not an impulse. That is a necessity especially with you around. How many of my bras have you torn apart since you came back?"

"They were in the way," Clark says sulkily. After all to him those annoying pieces of fabric were practically nothing to him when you consider he can rip through steel like it is paper.

Buffy rolls her eyes. "That's what the clasps are for."

"Takes too long. My way is better."

"In your opinion."

"And? What is wrong with my opinion?"

"Two things. One you're a guy and two you're an alien and both mean you have no understanding of female needs."

"Oh I think I have a very good understanding of your needs," Clark says with a blatant sexual overtone.

Buffy snorts. "Just because you gave me a few orgasms does not mean you understand my needs."

Clark arches an eyebrow. "A few? I give you a few every night."

"Well someone has a lofty opinion of themselves and oh if I recall I give you a few every night too."

"Yeah and I am not the one sitting here complaining about it when we could be in the shower working on a few more."

"God you are such a guy!"

"Hey. I have needs too you know."

Buffy stops joking. "I know Clark," she says seriously.

Clark stops joking too. "It is not the sex you know. I just want to be as close to you as possible and when we are together, for me, it is making love not sex."

Buffy looks at the intensity of his face and says sincerely "Me too and I am all too painfully aware of the difference so trust me I know what it is when we are together." She then stands up and pulls him up as well. "Come on. Lets go because I wasn't joking about that dust."

The corners of Clark's lips curl upward. "Well you just tell me where and I promise to make sure you get a thorough clean."

Buffy drags him off towards the shower, smiling because she knows that Clark always keeps his word.


	28. Part 3 Chapter 3: Paris III

Chapter 3: Paris III

"Her," Lana says pointing at one of the girls. She had been spying on the slayers for awhile and had been evaluating which was the weak link. Which one she could use to get to Clark.

Drusilla looks at the girl her childe is pointing too and smiles. Oh yes. Definitely her. "She's a bad girl. She dreams, fantasises all about the fallen star. Such wicked, sinful thoughts." Drusilla sighs with perverse pleasure. She turns to look at Lana. "But you do too don't you Lana lamb. You dream of riding your fallen star don't you."

Lana growls. She has many plans for Clark that may include the vision of bedding him, of having his strong muscular body pound into her with such strength and force that he makes her scream with both pleasure and pain.

"Oh you are naughty," Drusilla lightly chastises. She then whispers in Lana's ear. "Do you think he could that to your mummy too?" she asks with a little thrill at what she picked up off Lana.

Lana smiles. "That and so much more." Drusilla turns her attention back to watching their prey while Lana's smile fades. Her 'mummy' is starting to seriously crimp her style but once she has Clark back…well lets just say it may be time for Lana to organise a divorce from her mother, a permanent one. Lana too turns her attention back to their unsuspecting pawn. Ooh she is drifting away from the others. This is the perfect opportunity.

Camille had drifted away from the rest of her fellow slayers. She just wasn't in the mood for their banter tonight.

"Hello sweetie!"

Camille spins round to see a fairly slight, dark haired vampire behind her. How had this vampire sneaked up on her like that? She reaches for her stake but suddenly finds herself grabbed from behind in a powerful grip by two large male vampires. The female vampire walks forward with a sway in her hips. Camille gulps. She had been stupid and become separated and now she was going to die.

"I'm not going to kill you."

Camille looks at the vampire with puzzlement.

"You see I can give you something you want."

"Like what?" Camille asks slightly curious but at the same time buying herself time to figure a way out this.

The vampire smiles. "Clark."

"How do you…" Camille begins to say before she realises she is saying too much. "I don't know any Clark."

The vampire laughs softly. "Of course you do. Look let us start off on the right foot here. I'm Lana." Lana signal at her two 'brothers', new vampires that Drusilla had sired, and they release Camille.

Camille eyes 'Lana' warily. She has never met a vampire that wanted to chat before and isn't sure what to make of this.

Lana smiles pleasantly. She needs this one's trust. "So what's your name?"

"Camille."

"Camille. Now as I was saying I can help you get Clark."

"Why?"

"I need him distracted."

"I'm not going to help you hurt people."

"I'm a vampire sweetie. I eat people for breakfast. In fact I had this lovely blond waitress for breakfast. She was so young and sweet and tender but you don't want to hear about that. Tell you what I'll make you a deal. I'll leave Paris. You'll never see me again once our business is concluded."

"What business?"

"I want Buffy dead!" Lana all but growls.

"And for that you need Clark out the way," Camille deduces.

"Aren't you clever and yet you're not the leader. Bet that grates."

"Emma is my friend."

"Of course she is but lets us get back onto Clark. I can tell you how to have him."

"At the cost of Buffy's life?"

Lana shrugs nonchalantly. "Is that such a high price to pay to get what you want." In an instant Lana is next to Camille whispering in her ear. "I know what you want Camille. You want Clark. You want his hard muscular body. You want to see those muscles flexing as he pounds into over and over, reaching into places no other man could as you scream in ecstasy as he makes you come again and again and again until you pass out."

Camille knows she shouldn't be listening but she can't help but imagine what Lana is describing. Oh god that would be so good.

Lana smiles. She can smell Camille's arousal at the picture she is describing. God this one is so gullible. She has no idea what Lana really wants to happen and what Lana knows will happen if she gets her way. "So what do you say Camille? Interested?"

Camille debates it internally for a good minute before she looks Lana in the eyes and asks "What do I need to do?"

* * *

"Oh god Buffy. That's amazing. Don't stop," Clark pleads hoarsely.

"I have no intention to. Although I do find it amazing no-one has ever done this for you before."

"The only other people with the necessary strength tended to be psychotic meteor freaks who were trying to kill me."

"Yeah I can see how you might not ask them to do this. You are kind of exposed."

Clark laughs at her joke. He is in fact lying face down on their hotel bed as Buffy gives him a massage. It feels utterly amazing especially since Buffy worked out where the equivalent pressure points are on his body.

Buffy kneads through the layers of muscle and only muscle. Clark doesn't have a single ounce of fat on his body despite the fact he eats more than she does. This started as an idle comment she made about her last vacation to a health spar where she got the most wonderful massages (hey being a slayer is stressful work and she tends to get a lot of knots in her back) and Clark mentioned that he had never had one which to Buffy just seemed so wrong so she volunteered to give him a massage and this is how they ended up in this position with her straddling his back.

Anyway Buffy was taking the opportunity to study Clark's body beyond what she had managed to find out so far. It is amazing. His skin feels like satin coated over steel but it became obvious to her that he must have pressure points and nerve clusters since he pointed out he can feel everything that touches him. So she had been taking her time trying to find them and was pleased by the moans she had been able to illicit from Clark's throat.

"You know," Buffy begins to say, "You are just a walking wall of muscle."

"I think it's the genes," Clark responds.

"You think you are meant to look this way?"

"I'm guessing so. I believe all Kryptonians did. I mean I've only met 3 living Kryptonians and they were…"

"Perfect."

"Well I wouldn't use that word."

No he wouldn't Buffy thinks. Wow a whole race of beings who looked like Clark. That is generating some pretty crazy images in her head. "So you were saying about your fellow Kryptonians," she says prompting him to continue.

"I was saying that while I wouldn't use the word perfect you are probably right in thinking that they were pretty flawless looking and were physically very fit."

"Uh huh," Buffy remarks. "So perfect then."

Clark groans. "Fine we'll go with perfect. I think, even if my teaching with Jor-El never really went into it, that Kryptonians indulged in genetic engineering for a while or maybe more like selective breeding is a better description."

Buffy bends down and kisses Clark directly between the shoulder blades. "Well however they did it I'm very grateful." She wonders if she sounded shallow there but since Clark doesn't comment on it she guesses not so she goes back to finishing his massage.

After a few minutes Clark speaks. "I was thinking that in another week we could go unless you want to stay longer."

Buffy continues her massaging. "No I have no desire to stay. I mean everything here is going pretty smoothly. Emma is a good leader. What about you? You finished here?"

"I will be in a week. I will have talked to all the girls by then." Clark spent several hours listening as the slayers would detail their lives. This way Clark was getting a better understanding of people. In many ways he had had a privileged upbringing. Not in material wealth but in the care of two parents who loved him. Not everyone was so lucky so everything he learned beyond what his upbringing was useful if he was to lead humanity away from its own destruction one day.

"Ok then week it is. Then we hit wine country," Buffy says with a great deal of enthusiasm.

"I didn't know you liked wine," Clark comments.

"I don't. I like the strapping young men working topless in the vineyards."

"You watch too many movies."

Buffy stops her massage and leans down on top of Clark. "Hey. You are suppose to be jealous at the fact I want to see topless men."

Clark smirks. "Now why would I be jealous?"

"Oh ho. I see you are starting to develop an ego. I think a training session or two might be required."

"I'm not sure that will help. I'm getting pretty good."

"Clark," Buffy says very seriously. "I can beat you anytime."

Clark lets out a breath and speaks softly. "I know."

Buffy's eyebrows rise in surprise. "You do?"

"You see people think I'm ignorant or don't see things but I do. I see that when you fight it is natural. You don't even have to think about it. For me it's the opposite. I am fighting my peaceful nature so it doesn't matter how hard I train I can never match your natural talent."

"Um…wow…ok." Buffy isn't sure what else to say. It had never occurred to her that Clark was that observant. He comes across as so naïve that it looks like he barely notices the world around him.

"It makes it easier for people," he tries to explain. "It's easier if they don't realise just how much I can see and hear. The truth would only make them uncomfortable. After all I can hear a pin drop from 10 miles away without even trying or listen to every sound in this city all at once. So imagine the things I can hear."

"How do you cope?" Buffy asks honestly. Strangely that is her first thought not at how uncomfortable it makes her which in truth it really doesn't. She had sort of known what Clark could do even if she didn't quite realise the full extent.

"I tune it out. Focus on one sound so I can drown out the rest."

"Do you mind if I ask what sound?"

"No I don't mind and it is your heart. I listen to the beating of your heart."

* * *

A couple of days later and Emma bursts into the hotel room Buffy and Clark are staying in. She finds only Buffy. "Buffy!"

"Hey Emma. What's up?" Buffy asks having never seen Emma so agitated looking. She had taken the night off from helping the slayers while Clark had decided to continue to talk to them so they could leave at the end of the week.

"We need you. There was this attack on a nightclub and well I've never seen a vampire attack like this."

Buffy's brow furrows. This sounds bad.

Looking around after she and Emma had sneaked in to the nightclub Buffy can conclude she was right. This is bad. There is blood and bodies everywhere and from what she can see some of these people died very slowly and painfully.

"I don't understand," Emma says. "Vampires don't act like this." She almost feels physically sick which considering she is a slayer and is use to horrible things really brings home how bad this scene is. She had been out patrolling when she heard about this and immediately rushed over to find Buffy hoping Buffy had more experience with this sort of thing. Emma had certainly never seen anything like this before.

"Not your run of the mill vampires no but this is different. This is someone sending a message."

"What message?"

"Why hello of course"

Buffy and Emma spin round. Buffy knows that voice and the face it came from. "Hello Drusilla."

Drusilla wanders amongst the blood that is splattered everywhere. "So much blood and death just like I saw." She inhales the scent deeply and her face changes into the vampire one. "Blood, blood everywhere," she says in a sing-song voice.

Buffy watches her intently. Drusilla is a master vampiress on top of being just plain nuts which makes her more dangerous in some ways to either Angel or Spike. They were never psychotic. Angel or more accurate Angelus was pure evil and Spike was just Spike. "So is this a social call or what?"

Drusilla smiles gleefully. "Ooh such a clever little slayer aren't you. Always with the jokes. Jokes can be good. Dear old daddy used to play jokes on me." Then her face darkens and almost takes a serious expression. "Then you took him away from me and now where is he?" Drusilla stares out into the distance looking like she is seeing something no-one else can. "He found another seer and she poured light into him, made his heart flutter," she says in her own description of what the Powers did to Angel.

Drusilla returns her gaze to Buffy. "He is no longer yours and he is no longer mine. He belongs to her now but soon I'll go to city of Angels and," Drusilla lets out a gasp of pleasure, "Ooh the things I will do. Such horrible, wicked things."

Buffy looks at her watch. "Wow that crazy rant only lasted 5 minutes. I think you're improving Dru."

Drusilla giggles. "Oh Buffy. If only you could see what I see."

"What do you see Drusilla?" Buffy asks.

Drusilla looks Buffy up and down like she is searching for something. "Covered in stardust."

"What?"

"Stardust from your fallen star. He shines so brightly. It hurts my eyes. Have to turn away or be burned yet you can't look away. He is so pretty."

It is so obvious who Drusilla is on about and Buffy moves forward but at the first step she hears several growls and from hidden places around her and Emma half a dozen vampires appear.

"I made a new family," Drusilla announces happily. "Not like my William or mummy or daddy but ooh I have a new daughter. She is so naughty. She is going to make mummy proud."

Buffy looks around. "She's not here."

Drusilla shakes her head. "Oh no but soon she'll come. She has other business to attend to. Lana lamb wants your fallen star."

Buffy's eyes widen at what Drusilla said. Drusilla laughs manically. "Oh this is going to be so much fun. Ruby red is the key. Wait till she gets here then you'll see."

Buffy and Emma look at each other while Buffy dreads what Drusilla means by ruby red. It seems she doesn't have to wait long as a familiar voice echoes round the nightclub.

"Honey! We're home!"

Then Buffy spots him with Lana on his arm. He has changed from his usual attire in to something predominantly black. His gaze is one of a predator and as he walks he looks like he is pure distilled sex on legs. "Hello Clark."

Clark separates himself from Lana and wanders over to Buffy gracefully avoiding all the blood splattered on the floor. "Wow what a mess," he says cheerfully.

Emma looks on wondering what has gotten into Clark. He seems so different. He looks cocky and frankly extremely sexy.

Clark stops right in front of Buffy hovering over her and somehow his clear foot height difference seems even larger. "Now Buffy there is no need to be so formal. After all the screwing we have been doing I think we can dispense with all formalities."

"Oh screwing. Is that what we have been doing. Funny that isn't what you said to be the other day."

Clark shrugs. "Like you said I'm a guy and I just said what I thought would get into your pants." Clark grins. "And hey it worked. Hmm you feel incredible when you're all soapy and wet." His voice has become sultry as he thinks back to that night in the shower. "But then again I'm always good at making you wet. That night was no different when I screwed you up against the wall of the shower and that felt pretty good too."

Buffy turns her gaze to Lana. "I'm curious is he always such a pig when he is like this?"

Lana has her own grin. She is really liking this new coarser Clark. "Yeah. It's such an improvement isn't it. It also helps him see what is really important…like me."

"Now ladies," Clark says addressing them both. "There is no need to fight. There is plenty of me to go around," he says with completely unashamed smugness.

Buffy snorts. "Get over yourself Clark."

"I told you!" he says in a raised voice. "Don't use that name."

He bends down so he looks her directly in the eye and Buffy can see the glisten of red off a necklace under his shirt. Buffy stares right back at him. "Ok then. Lets start again."

Clark smirks. "Ok. Lets see I started with 'Honey! We're home!'."

"Then I answer with 'Hello Kal'."


	29. Part 3 Chapter 4: Paris IV

Chapter 4: Paris IV

Earlier that night Camille is watching Clark as he chats to one of the other girls. She admires the easy way he interacts with them and she admires him. She had caught a glimpse of him training with Buffy once. His shirt was off and she got her first good view of what he looked like. It surpassed her fantasies by quite some way.

She fiddles with the red rock in her pocket. Lana had told her that with this Clark would be stripped of his inhibitions and drowned in wanton lust. God it heated up her blood just thinking about it. She closes her eyes and lets herself dream.

"Hey Camille."

Camille's eyes snap open. "Clark! Hi," she says in a slightly squeaky voice.

"Everything ok?" Clark asks having seen her standing there her eyes closed. He had finished his chat with Anne and was just about to head back to the hotel and Buffy.

Camille nods. "Sure everything is fine."

Clark eyes her thinking she seems to be acting a little odd. In fact she had been for a couple of days. Well if it was important he is sure she would say so. Camille was that type of person. "Well I'm off. Goodnight Camille."

"Goodnight Clark," she replies and holds out her hand.

Clark takes it and then has the oddest feeling of power surge up his arm.

Camille watches as Clark's eyes glow red for a moment. She had hid the red rock in her hand. She had been waiting two days for a moment like this when he is away from Buffy.

Clark looks down at her and takes his hand away from her and there in his palm is a tiny red rock. "Now where did you get this?" he asks.

Clark's voice has instantly changed. It is lower and, well to Camille, sexier sounding. "A friend gave me it. Are you mad?"

The rock is on a chain and Clark puts it around his neck. A small part of him is screaming at him not to but as always the feeling red kryptonite gives him is too powerful to ignore. "Mad? Don't be silly. I don't get mad," he says jovially.

Camille smiles widely. She can't believe it worked. Her triumph is short lived when Clark's face darkens suddenly and he hoists her by her shirt and slams her hard into the wall. "Now where did you get this?" The jokiness in his voice is gone and he is now deadly serious.

Clark or he prefers Kal at the moment looks at the girl he has hoisted up. Man he feels good but she shouldn't know about kryptonite and well that makes him annoyed and he doesn't like to be annoyed. "Answer my question," he demands.

Camille swallows. "A vampire gave it to me."

"A vampire. Really? And how did it know about the rock?"

Camille shakes her head. "I don't know. I never asked. She told me that with it you would be more interested in me."

Kal laughs. "Oh my god are you pathetic. You think I even look twice at you. I only talk to you because that idiot Kent was brought up to be polite. He only has eyes for Buffy and well I don't blame him. You can't imagine the things the things we have learned from Buffy." He drops Camille unceremoniously and paces around. "You can't imagine what it is like to live on this planet with such pathetically fragile creatures like yourself. Never being able to give in to that simplest of pleasures that is sexual release."

Kal stops and smiles. "Then Buffy came along and on our very first night together I got more pleasure than in the previous 21 years of my life but I'm digressing." He stops and looks at Camille with great intensity. "Now tell where you got this or I will put you through the wall."

Camille audibly gulps. She had been around Clark enough to know he could do exactly what he threatened. "Like I said it was a vampire."

"Name? Description?"

"Lana."

Kal laughs. "Oh of course. Why am I not surprised. God I didn't think she could get anymore pathetic than sleeping with my double. Seems I misjudged old Lana poohs." Clark once more hoists Camille up. "Where can I find her?"

* * *

Kal wanders through the cemetery where Camille said he could find Lana. He is having such a good time. Old Clarkie had locked him away inside their mind for far too long. "Oh Lana!" he calls out.

Lana, who had been waiting around wondering if Camille would ever manage to slip the red kryptonite on Clark, smiles wickedly when she hears him call her name. She rushes over to him and leaps into his arms and kisses him. "I was wondering when you would show up," Lana says in a deeply sultry voice.

"Yes sorry about that. Had to get the whole story from Camille."

Lana's face darkens and she drops to the ground. "The whole story?"

Kal smiles at her and gently caresses her cheek. "Now, now. I'm not mad but I do have one request."

"Ok shoot."

"Can I be there when you kill Buffy?"

Lana grins. She knew this would work. She just knew it. That whole affair with Clark's double had at least left her with detailed knowledge about what affected him. In fact by the look of him it has made a definite improvement. Clark look really good in black. "Did you get dressed up for me?"

"Of course I did," he lies. Frankly he just wanted to wear something to look good. You know Clark's style lately may be good if you want to hide away from the world but hiding wasn't Kal's style.

"Um ok well as for Buffy I'm not sure where she is exactly. I mean I had this plan to divert her attention, well my mummy had this plan."

"Your mummy?" Kal queries.

Lana nods. "My vampire mummy."

"Ooh that sounds perverted," Kal says with a lecherous grin.

"Oh it is," Lana assures him. "But we can do that later. Like I was saying I'm not sure if Buffy heard about what my mummy did yet."

Lana looks as Clark's tilts his head and looks into the distance. "Clark?"

"Shh. I'm homing in on her heartbeat. Oh there she is." Kal then picks Lana up into his arms and Lana takes a moment to appreciate the power in them. "Lets go crash the party shall we?"

Lana wraps her arms around Clark's neck. "Yes lets."

Once brief super powered run later and she and Kal are entering the nightclub where Buffy is.

Kal looks around. Oh dear dear what a mess but never mind that. He has more important things to deal with like Buffy who insists on calling him by that damn farm boy name until he makes it quite clear that that is not his name, at least not right now.

"Hello Kal," Buffy says using his proper name. Well more accurately the name he uses when he is doped up on red kryptonite. She had so wanted to avoid meeting his alter ego again but what can you do. She knows that Clark is still under there somewhere. She just has to bide her time for the right moment to come along.

Kal grins. "You see was that so hard." He then wraps Buffy in a steel hug and grinds into her. "Speaking of things that are hard," he whispers.

Buffy fights the urge to roll her eyes and ok he is pretty hard. Not that she is interested in that right now. Nope. No way. No how is she interested in having sex with Clark's misogynist inner self.

"Clark!" Lana shouts out appalled that he is doing that with that whore.

Kal groans and stops so he can turn and face Lana. "What?" he asks sounding like a petulant child.

"What are you doing?" Lana asks through gritted teeth.

"Having some fun. I know you're dead and all Lana but surely you haven't forgotten how to have fun."

Drusilla smiles at the sight. "Oh wow you're so pretty."

Kal preens and runs his hand through his hair. "Oh you think so."

"All shiny like the stars."

"Right. Whatever you say. I'm guessing you're Lana's mummy." Clark zips next to her and smells Drusilla's hair. "Hmm I love your accent by the way."

Buffy rolls her eyes. "Is there anything you won't flirt with?"

Kal pouts. "But there is so much of me to go around."

"Clark," Lana grinds out even harsher than before. She is getting seriously annoyed.

Kal rolls his eyes. "Yes my dear Lana."

"Remember what we discussed."

"Hmm. Oh yeah." As they entered the club Lana had whispered some things to him. He wanders over back next to Lana who wraps her arms around his.

"This is where you must die Buffy. Parting is such sweet sorrow," Drusilla says whimsically.

Buffy stands there stoically and folds her arms across her chest. "Oh really?"

"Yes really," Lana says assuredly. "Clark if you please."

"Oh sure," he says not sounding very interested. He looks at Buffy and his eyes glow. Buffy remains unmoving. "Well Buffy its been fun," Kal says as a form of farewell.

Emma grabs Buffy's arms to try and shift her. Buffy shrugs her off. "No Emma. Stay right there. Come on then Clark. Do it!

"God why are all the woman in my life so damn pushy," he laments. "And for the freakin final time. My name is Kal!" Kal's head then whips round in Drusilla's direction just as he lets his heat vision off. Drusilla doesn't even have time to react as the rays of heat cause her body to combust and she dissolves into dust.

The other vampires in the room look on unsure what to do now while Lana just giggles. She pulls away form Clark and wanders over to the pile of dust that was her mummy. She grabs a handful of it. "Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust," she says before adding with venom, "Mummy."

Lana dust her hands off with a triumphant laugh. She was married to Lex friggin Luthor. Did Drusilla really think she could control her. She wipes a tear from her eye. "Wow that was good. She didn't even have time to muse one of her silly rhymes." Lana then addresses her 'brothers'. "Here's the deal. Do what I say and I won't have Clark fry you."

Since no-one speaks up Lana takes that as they have no objection. She wanders over to Buffy. "I've been so looking forward to meeting you again. Drusilla said Slayer blood was heavenly." She smiles evilly. "I am looking forward to finding out for sure."

Buffy arches an eyebrow. "I'm having a hard time working out who has more of an ego. You or Clark?"

"It's Kal!" he shouts out totally exasperated. "You said it before now say it again."

"I said it before to humour you," Buffy tells him.

Kal's face darkens. "Humour me!?"

"Uh huh."

He zips over so he is once more standing over her. "Humour me!?" he repeats outraged.

"You're like a child when you're on that rock aren't you. It all me, me, me. It is all about what I want."

"And?" Kal asks not getting her point. What is wrong with him getting what he wants for once in his life.

Lana places her hand on Clark's arm. "Kal," she says choosing to humour him. "Ignore her. She'll be dead in a minute. Then you and I can be together."

Clark tilts his head to look her and he looks really amused. "Me and you?"

Lana nods.

"Yeah. I have two words for that." His face then screws up in disgust. "Ew! Icky!"

Lana's eyes flash yellow. "Icky!" she screams outraged.

"Yeah icky," Kal repeats in a childish voice which makes Buffy snicker. "You're an undead thing with no heartbeat. Frankly you make my skin crawl. I was just humouring you so you would tell me what you were up to." Kal then turns his attention to Buffy. "And what are you snickering at Miss 'I slept with two vampires'? Frankly I get ill just thinking about what you got up to."

"You are a pig," Buffy tells him. She was totally right earlier. He is almost like a spoilt child.

"Maybe but I bet you 10 Euros that I'll have you screaming my name before the night is out," Kal says in total belief in his own abilities.

Lana meanwhile is burning with fury as she searches her pockets.

"Looking for this?" Kal asks as he holds a small lead box in the palm of his hand. "I took it from you on the way here." After all red kryptonite strips him of his inhibitions. It doesn't make him stupid in any way and he had x-rayed Lana the second he found her and it wasn't just so he could look at her naked body although he did peek.

Lana starts to back up now she has no way to control Clark.

Kal zips into superspeed and grabs her round the throat. He suspends her a foot off the ground. "The rest of you leave now if you want to live," he tells the other vampires. They, deciding they want to live, flee.

Lana claws at Clark's grasp trying to vainly break loose. "You want to know something Lana," Kal says with venom. He finally has a chance to say what is really bothering him. "You want to know what Clark really thinks of you after you lied and deceived him. Then on top of that you sleep with my half baked clone totally convinced that it is me. Do you want to know how I felt about that Lana?" He raises his voice. "Do you want to know just how pissed off I was!?"

"Clark," Lana croaks out in a plea.

Kal shakes his head. "It is really saying something isn't it Lana when Clark Kent thinks of Chloe more highly than you. Hell he holds Lois in a higher opinion. She may be brash and arrogant and a pain in the ass but at least she is honest. A word you don't know the meaning of and now look at you. You went from pathetic to being a vampire."

"I'm done with you," he says with finality. He then dumps her on the ground and turns around.

Buffy during all this has simply been looking on letting Clark vent. He sounds like he needs it. She was not really totally surprised that Clark didn't really kill her. After all she is a good 'screw' as he put it. They are so going to have to have a talk later about that. Also deep down it is still Clark and he wouldn't kill her. They've been through this before with the First and he couldn't do it then and he can't do it now.

"Do with her what you want. I'll see you back at the hotel," Kal tells her. He then reaches under his shirt, pulls the red stone up and yanks it off his neck, breaking the chain. He tosses it to Buffy who catches it. "I'm finished here," Clark says in a soft voice. He glances briefly at Lana and then at Buffy. "Do it quickly," he requests.

Buffy gives him a nod and Clark vanishes off at superspeed. Buffy turns her gaze to Lana. "On your feet Lana. I'm giving you a chance to get out of here and all you have to do is kill me."

"Buffy," Emma begins to protest.

"No Emma. If she beats me you let her go. Promise me."

Emma isn't sure of that but she reluctantly agrees. "I promise."

"Thanks you," Buffy tells her. "Now Lana it is just you and me."

Lana gets back to her feet warily. She can still get out of this and then get revenge on Clark. She can't believe he rejected her again. Oh he will pay but first things first. She puts on her game face and launches herself at Buffy.

* * *

Clark sits on the bed waiting. Then the door opens and in walks Buffy. "Is it done?"

Buffy nods. "Yes. It's done," she says in a very business like, matter of fact way.

Clark nods and gazes down at the floor trying to work through his emotions. Buffy sits down on the bed next to him and takes one of his hands and holds it.

"I wasn't very nice to you was I?" he says with deep regret in his voice.

"Not particularly."

"I'm sorry."

"On the plus side I don't think you actually blatantly tried to kill me this time."

Clark's brow furrows. "I was possessed the last time. It was nothing to do with the red kryptonite."

"Yeah well we have already talked about that so what was it that you were channelling this time?"

Clark shrugs. "I don't know. I mean when I found out Lana was involved my first impulse was to fry her on sight."

"Wow she really ticked you off didn't she."

"Yes she did but I meant what I said back in Scotland. I did hope she would find her way back to being a good person. I never wanted this end for her."

"I know."

Clark looks up and at Buffy. "I really was worried for you despite the red kryptonite. I was never going to hurt you."

"Just screw me apparently.

"That was a little crude wasn't it."

"Just a little."

"Like I said the other day I have needs. I'm not asexual in any way. I do crave physical intimacy."

"Yeah I kinda figured that was where that came from and you know what Clark it's fine. We all have that part inside us. Trust me when I say I feel it more than most."

Clark lets out a sigh.

"Why did you take it off?"

"What?"

"The stone. Why did you take it off?"

"Because I was done. Once I vented at Lana I felt more like myself. Like I had released everything from inside myself I wanted to so I just took it off because I didn't need it anymore."

"Wow. I think we made a breakthrough."

Clark smiles slightly. "I think so too. I'm not the person I was before. I had a year by myself at the Fortress to come to terms with who I am. I'm not saying I'm the finished article or anything and I'm sure that over the years there will be many feelings I'll end up burying inside me but at the moment it feels like I've let everything go that was bothering me."

"That's good."

"I guess so."

"So when were you going to mention that it was Camille that put the stone on you."

Clark looks at her wondering how she knows that.

"Lana talked a lot while we were duking it out."

"Oh."

"Do you know why Camille did it?"

"She has a thing for me."

"Ah and let me guess. She thought that she could get into bed by drugging you."

"Yeah but she didn't Buffy. I would never…not even under red kryptonite."

"I believe you."

"What will happen to her?" he asks.

"She made a deal with a vampire, with the other side. She was willing to sacrifice one of us for her own selfish desires. There is no greater crime than that. Willow will be here tomorrow and will reverse the spell that made Camille a slayer. She'll be just a normal person after that and no longer our concern."

"You're kicking her out," Clark summarises.

"Basically yes. We either stick together or we all fall Clark."

"Was it quick?" he asks in relation to Lana.

"As quick as it always is when a vampire dies."

"Will she be at peace now?"

"Yes," she answers so not to upset him worse than he already is. Clark lays his head on Buffy's lap while she strokes his hair. "It's ok Clark. Let it out."

Clark does so. He begins to sob because as much as he had grown to hate Lana as of late he also still loved her and now she was dead. Buffy says nothing more and simply lets him get this out of his system as she tries to soothe him. He may arguably be the most physically powerful man on Earth but due to his human heart he is also quite possible the most emotionally vulnerable but that is why she will stick with him. This is why he needs her. She has been through the emotional ringer more times than she cares to count. She bends down and kisses his head. "I love you Clark and I'm here for you. Always."


	30. Part 3 Chapter 5: Paris V

Chapter 5: Paris V

"Hey Will," Buffy greets her friend as she lets her in to her hotel room.

"Hey Buffy," Willow greets her back as she walks in and looks around. "No Clark?"

Buffy shakes her head. "He needed some alone time."

"I see."

"No Giles?" Buffy asks back.

"He's down in the lobby with Xander," Willow answers.

"Ah. Well just let me grab my jacket and we'll go," she tells Will. Willow is here to undo the slayer spell on Camille.

"So Drusilla's really gone then?" Willow asks as Buffy gets her jacket on.

"Yeah. I phoned Angel and let him know."

"How did he take it?" Willow asks curiously since Angel, well Angelus, was the one that sired Drusilla after turning her completely insane.

Buffy straightens her jacket out. "Surprisingly calm actually. Something about it being the last link to his past and now he can look forward to his future." Buffy then heads for the door. "Come on. Lets get this over with."

Willow follows Buffy out. "You ok?" she asks.

"Sure."

"Really?" Willow asks sceptically. "Because I've seen you like this before. You know calm on the outside, raging on the inside."

They walks along the corridor in silence until Buffy says "Alright I'm totally pissed off. She made a deal with a vampire so she could lure my fiancé into bed while said vampire plotted my death and on top of that said vampire happens to be my fiancé's ex-girlfriend who I already had to hit because she was totally dense and thought my fiancé's evil double was really my fiancé and together they plotted to kill my fiancé. I, being the generous soul I am, let her live and all I get for my troubles is that Drusilla, Drusilla of all people, turned afore mentioned ex-girlfriend into a vampire where her number one priority was to kill me and get my fiancé into bed…and on top of that I ended up having to kill my fiancé's ex-girlfriend which caused him to spend an hour last night in my lap sobbing because he is a wonderful, caring person who despite everything still cared enough for his ex-girlfriend that her death upset him and this morning he flew off, literally, so he could gather himself back together. So in summarising I am totally pissed off."

Willow rubs her hand up and down Buffy's back as Buffy gulps in air having actually spouted all that in a single breath. "Whoa Buffy. Take it easy. Nice deep breaths."

Buffy stops for a moment as she regains her breath. Wow. She really had a lot simmering below the surface there.

"Feeling better?" Willow inquires.

"I will if I get to punch Camille just once before you strip her of her power."

"I'm not sure Giles will let you do that."

"Yeah well I might do it anyway." With a final deep intake of breath Buffy gathers herself. "Right then. Lets just go do this."

With that Buffy and Willow head down to meet up with Giles and Xander.

* * *

Meanwhile Clark is standing outside a door to an apartment in Metropolis. He had gone first to his home. Well his other home. His Fortress of Solitude where he can be alone with his thoughts in this last monument to his race. He needed time to gather himself before he came here. He knocks on the door and after a short wait a slightly disheveld Chloe Sullivan opens the door in her nightwear looking decidedly annoyed at the sight of him. Well he can't blame her really. It is 4 in the morning after all. "Hey Chloe," he says softly.

"Clark?" Chloe queries at the soft, gentle voice that sounds, if she is not mistaken, very sad. She was about to chew him out for waking her up but the tone of his voice caught her attention.

"Yeah it's me."

"Is everything alright?" she asks as she takes in his appearance. There he is in his jeans, t-shirt and jacket combo plus glasses. He looks like he hasn't slept much and even has a faint trace of stubble on his chin.

"No," he answers. "Can I come in?"

Chloe stands aside and gestures for him to come in. She follows him towards the couch in her apartment and sits down next to him. "So Clark. What is it?"

"I'm sorry for waking you Chloe," Clark starts with.

"That's ok Clark. If it is urgent you know I'm always here for you."

"Thank you."

"So what happened?"

Clark sighs. "You know how Buffy and I are in Paris?"

"Yeah."

"Well as it turns out so was Lana."

Chloe desperately fights the urge to roll her eyes. That is so typical. "Um. That is a bit of a coincidence. I'm guessing that didn't go well."

"No it didn't." Clark takes a breath. "Chloe you better brace yourself," he warns her so she can prepare herself a little.

"That bad huh?" she says trying to keep it light.

"Worse. Chloe. Lana's dead."

The silence is deafening until Chloe answers with "I'm going to need coffee for this." She then gets up and heads for her small kitchen. One quickly nuked cup of coffee from the microwave later and Chloe is sitting back down next to Clark. "Ok Clark hit me with it." Chloe is holding off crying, grieving or any other appropriate response till she gets the full story. After all last time Lana 'died' it had turned out Lana had faked the whole thing.

Clark hits her with it. The vampire Lana, the red kryptonite, everything.

Chloe takes a deep breath. "Ok before I deal with the Lana being dead bit tell me about the red K bit. Are you ok?" Chloe had met his red K alter ego enough times to know that an ensuing guilt trip is usually the norm.

Clark nods. "Yeah. It was no worse than usual. In fact I think I'm dealing with it better now. I actually took it off myself."

Chloe arches a single, blond eyebrow slightly intrigued and slightly surprised as well about what is a revelation. She knows red kryptonite is almost like a drug to Clark. It makes him feel good and usually not inclined to remove it himself. "That's good," she remarks. Good in the sense it usually takes a trip to green k-ville to get the stuff off of him or out of him, like the time Lois kissed him with the red K lipstick and Chloe supposes it could also say that maybe it shows Clark is maturing to the point he isn't burying all his inner angst anymore.

"I guess. Now how are you with dealing with Lana's death?"

Chloe's brow furrows. "I'm not sure how to react. Last time we actually spoke ended up with us trading insults so she wasn't exactly on my favourite person's list."

"But she was your friend once," Clark reminds her.

"True...I don't know Clark. It needs to sink in more. In the meantime how are you coping?"

Clark lets out a deep sigh. "I was upset."

"Tears?"

Clark nods. "A few. Buffy comforted me."

Chloe places her hand on Clark's knee in a gesture of support. "Will you be ok?"

Clark weighs up his feelings for a moment. "I think so." He lets out a small laugh. "It's funny. Last time I was mourning her for weeks. This time...I'm starting to feel a little better already."

"You were in love with her last time," Chloe points out to him.

"Was I? Was I really Chlo?"

"What do you mean?" she asks him curiously. As far as she knew Clark Kent had been in love with Lana Lang since he was 5 or something.

"I mean is that I had time to think at the Fortress between my lessons. Think about my life and some of the decisions I made. I decided in regards to Lana that I was in love with what she represented rather than her."

"What did she represent to you Clark?"

"Normalcy. She was the normal, sweet girl next door at a time when I would have done anything to be a normal human being."

Chloe shakes her head. "Clark. You are normal for you."

"I know that now Chloe."

"Wow. You really have grown up!" Chloe says with real shock in her voice at Clark's admission.

Clark smiles. "So it would seem."

"So...um if you thought about your life what conclusion did you reach about me?" Chloe asks before she immediately tries to backtrack. "Forget I asked that. I don't need to know."

"No I think you do need to know Chloe."

"Clark I don't really. Honestly. That was just my stupid journalistic curiosity. Ignore me. I'm both sleep and caffeine deprived."

Clark smiles sweetly at Chloe. Her finds her little babbles when she is nervous endearing. "You are my best friend Chloe despite the fact I was a colossal jerk to you at times and for that I'm sorry."

"Clark..." Chloe starts to say not really wanting to go into this. She is not really comfortable with some great soul baring exercise.

"No Chloe I need to say this. I know I hurt you because I only saw Lana. You deserved better."

Chloe lets out a sigh. "Clark. Don't you think I forgave you for all that. I wouldn't have stayed around otherwise. After all how little self respect do you think I have?"

"I still think I should apologise."

"Fine. Apology accepted. Can we move on now?"

Clark senses that perhaps he should. "Ok. How are things with Willow?"

"They're good, great actually despite it being a long distance relationship. Although Bart is totally obsessed with the thought of me and another girl together. I would hit him if I could but he's too fast."

"You should wait until he has a sugar crash," Clark advises. "He is much slower when his blood sugar is low."

"Ooh. Good advice there Clark. I'll do that thanks."

"You're welcome," he tells her.

"So I'm guessing you'll be heading back to Buffy soon."

"In a little while. She is taking care of some slayer business. I think it is best if I just leave her to it." Clark had decided that he should just leave Buffy and co to take care of Camille. After all he will never be a judge of people. He'll leave it to the laws of the land to judge people and for the slayers they have their own set of laws and Camille will have to answer to them.

Chloe sips down the last of her coffee before she stands up. "Wait here a tick," she tells Clark. She heads off to her bedroom before coming back with a copy of the Daily Planet. She hands it over to him.

"What is this?"

"Turn to the travel section," Chloe tells him.

Clark isn't sure what this is about but he does as Chloe tells him. As he reads it his eyes widen. "Chloe. What have you done?"

Chloe smirks smugly. "Congratulations on your first article in the Planet."

Clark shakes his head. Chloe had obviously taken his letter from London and edited it to be fit to print and placed in the travel section of the Planet as a guide to the city. "Why Chloe?" he asks in all honesty.

"Boy. You really don't proof read your own work do you. Your so called letter Clark read more like someone who had decided to write a critique on being a tourist in modern London alongside a very genuine appraisal of Londoners and the British in general. It was very insightful actually. You have a real flair for connecting to the common person."

"Chloe I have no wish to be a reporter again. That ended with the Torch."

"But Clark you have a gift. Don't waste it."

Clark's brow furrows until a little line forms between his eyebrows. "How did you even get it printed?"

"Lane and Sullivan are a fearsome duo," she says in reference to herself and Lois. "Perry crumpled like a piece of rotten wood after we got through with him but genuinely Clark he liked your writing. I told him you were a friend who was travelling the world to do some soul searching and he said that to tell you that when you get back to the States to look him up and he'll offer you a job."

Clark is kind of conflicted now. It is so rare he is praised for doing something mundane that doesn't stem from his abilities and he feels proud that people like his writing. "Well maybe Chloe. I'll continue to write you and if Perry still likes my work when I get back I'll apply for a job. How's that?"

Chloe smiles brightly. "Great. Perfect."

* * *

When Clark finally gets back to Paris after spending a few hours catching up with Chloe he find Buffy packing. He goes over and gives her a kiss. "Everything ok?" he asks her.

"Yeah. You? Everything ok?"

Clark nods. "I saw Chloe. Told her about Lana."

"You went home?"

"Just to see Chloe. Lana was her friend and she deserved to be told about what happened face to face. How did everything go with Camille?"

"As expected. Willow showed up, did her mumbo jumbo and poof...one depowered slayer. We left her with some money to start another life and then kicked her out the door."

"Did she say anything?" he queries.

"Like she was sorry?"

"Yeah. Stuff like that."

"Oh sure. She was all remorseful but far too late. If she had committed some lesser crime we could have forgiven her but like I said last night she sold us out to indulge in her own selfish desires. We have to police our own. After all we, Willow and me, are responsible for the idea in the first place of activating all the potentials. If they go rogue that makes me all the more responsible for stopping them." Buffy sits down on the bed. "I feel sorry for Emma," she says with genuine sympathy.

Clark sits down next to Buffy. "Why?"

"Camille was...is her friend. Emma trusted her and she feels betrayed. Betrayal isn't fun. Trust me I know. Faith betrayed me once and I ended up fighting her to the death."

Clark looks slightly puzzled. "Um you and Faith are still alive and friends last time I checked."

"Yeah well our fight ended up with me putting Faith in a coma for 8 months and well how she found her way back to the light you'll have to ask her or Angel. Angel had something to do with it. I never got the specifics. I was kinda angry at them both and didn't want to listen to them. If the same thing happened now I'm guessing we would have done to Faith what we did to Camille but we didn't have the know how back then to do it."

"I understand. I know all about betrayal too."

"That would be Lex Luthor right?" When Clark was first spilling his life story to her he had told her about Lex. In fact thinking back on it she can remember the almost relief in Clark's voice that he had someone else to not only share the truth of his life but maybe understood it to some degree. Heck Buffy had that feeling when Faith showed up. Instead of being the 'one girl in all the world' there was someone else who understood the burden of being the 'Chosen One'.

Clark nods. "Yeah. I thought he was my friend. Turns out he was just pretending to be while he investigated me. Then there is him marrying Lana and his super soldier army and from what Chloe tells me a lot of illegal stuff involving Luthorcorp and oh he probably murdered his father while I was up at the Fortress even if nothing can be proved."

"Wow. We're quite a pair aren't we," she jokes at how similar things seemed to have happened to them.

"Seems so."

They sit in silence for a moment before Buffy speaks. "Um Willow, Giles and Xander are staying until tomorrow. You want to have dinner with them and then you and I will go in the morning. I was thinking of just going south the old fashioned way. You know by train. I think I would prefer that this time."

Clark sees no problem with that. "Sure. Sometimes it's nice to slow down and see the world the human way."

"Well on the plus side I think we can say that we won't be forgetting our trip to Paris any time soon."

Clark smiles ever so slightly at Buffy's attempt at humour. He places his arm around her small waist and pulls her next to him. "I guess not."

"You're not mad at me are you for dusting Lana?"

Clark shakes his head. "No. I would prefer her to be at peace rather than live like that. Besides I told you to do it."

"Ok just checking."

Clark gives Buffy a little squeeze. "I love you Buffy. Nothing will change that."

"I love you too Clark."

* * *

Meanwhile in the rainforests of Honduras, in a long lost temple, an ancient being awakens. It had fallen to this planet long ago after being defeated and banished by its rival and his bastard creations in the wars of Fire and Ice. Even in its weakened state the primitive locals worshipped it as a God. Well it is a God. Well Goddess technically.

The native beings built a temple for her to live in and to be worshipped in and as time passed her powers recovered and she strode out to make this world her own but the native Gods of this planet fought her, beat her back, thought in the end they had killed her but she survived. She lay, hidden, forgotten by the world as she slept and waited. Waited for her body to recover. Waited for her time to come again. Waited for her long ago rival's era to pass and for his bastard creations to perish. She had felt it. Even though it was so far away she had felt their sun die and their world explode.

Soon. Soon she would arise and reek her revenge on the Gods of this world. Soon the people of this world would have to choose between worshipping her as their true God or facing her icy wrath.

She smiles in her tomb deep down in the bowels of the Earth. Dear Rao. Her dear old rival. She almost feels sorry he isn't around to see what she will do. After all he and his precious Kryptonians are no longer here to stop her. Soon her name would be spoken again with the reverence she deserves. Cythonna, Goddess of Ice.

* * *

_Author's Note: So this wraps up Buffy and Clark's time in Paris. As for the end of this chapter I'll thank GreatStarOcean for suggesting in their review that Clark should face something God-like. I happen to think it is a great idea although it is going to be a threat that is growing in the background while Clark and Buffy continues their travels until they have no choice but to face it head on. Thanks to everyone who has written reviews and I'm sorry this chapter took so long. Writer's block._


	31. Part 3 Chapter 6: Spain

Chapter 6: Spain

Clark takes a moment, well several moments actually, to peer over the top of his sunglasses so he can admire Buffy in a rather skimpy two-piece bathing suit. They are on the beach in the Costa Del Sol after travelling through France, then across the Pyrenees and through Spain. Thankfully since Paris their lives had been rather quiet. Clark can certainly say that nothing that special happened. At least by his and Buffy's standards it was nothing special but when they reached the Mediterranean coast they decided to take a few days out to go enjoy the beach and the sun.

Buffy turns her head to catch Clark gazing at her in admiration. A gesture she is more than happy to return as Clark is down to only a pair of shorts and a pair of sunglasses. Dear God. When you see him like that it is entirely believable he is from another planet. No human could look so perfect. She wanders over to him sitting under one of those large beach umbrellas where he suddenly picks her up by the waist like she weighs nothing, which she practically does to him, and sits her on his lap where he begins to gently nuzzle her neck. "Clark. What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Um...we are on a public beach Clark. You get arrested for this kind of thing."

Clark chuckled softly into the Buffy's neck. "I wasn't planning on going that far Buffy. I just find you sexy in that suit."

Buffy wraps her arms around Clark's neck. "Oh really? The scars don't bother you?"

Clark frowns. Buffy's body had numerous scars on it. No doubt due to the hard life she had led. It makes him wish he could have met her sooner. Maybe he could have prevented some of those. In answer to her question though he has to say "Buffy. I've seen you naked. Did it look like I was bothered during all those times?"

Buffy gets a silly little smile on her face. "Nope. Can't say I noticed that you were bothered in any way?"

"Because I wasn't." Clark then kisses her deeply. "You're beautiful," he tells her, his voice low.

"So are you," she says back returning the compliment. "But why are you hiding under this umbrella?"

"Because I don't tan."

"Huh?"

"I don't tan Buffy. UV light doesn't have the same effect on my skin as it does yours. It is just one of the many little things you take for granted but I have to think excuses up for so no-one gets suspicious about me."

"Wow that kind of sucks."

"Yeah it does. It means no holidays to anywhere sunny because I wouldn't be really able to explain why I was as pale as I was when I left."

"Well we won't be here that long," she points out to him.

"I know." Clark then grabs the suntan lotion. "Now since you do tan and possibly burn I'm thinking I should put this on you."

"Now that has to be the flimsiest excuse ever for someone to think up just so he can rub his hands all over my body."

"That wasn't a no."

Buffy scoffs. "Like I'm going to say no to having my fiancé's hands on me but I do have one condition."

"That being?"

"I get to do the same to you. After all we have to keep up appearances." And like Buffy is going to say no to feeling all over Clark's chiselled physique.

Clark grins. "Like I'm going to say no to having my fiancée's hands on me," he jokes saying Buffy's words back to her.

Buffy gives him a kiss for that one. "Ok you can do me first."

Clark thinks he could easily make a lewd joke there but decides not to and simply starts to rub in the suntan lotion onto Buffy's skin. He likes how wonderfully soft and warm she feels under his hands. Buffy is a wonderful contradiction. Small but with enough strength in her to...well she did mention bending a shotgun once.

"Hmm," Buffy purrs. Clark's warm large hands feel wonderful. Of course they always do.

Clark smiles at her response. "Nice?" he queries.

"Yeah." In fact Buffy thinks this whole idea of taking a couple days off at the beach is nice too. It has been ages since she did something like this and this resort they are at is very nice and the view over the sea is beautiful.

After Clark is done Buffy rubs lotion into Clark's skin. She also takes a moment to appreciate once more just how large and solid Clark is and if she was to push hard enough she had learned that beyond a certain pressure his muscles would suddenly resist with steel like strength.

After that it is basically just like they planned. A day lazing on the beach. Clark spends his time writing another letter/article for Chloe. Ever since she told him she got his writing printed he had been more careful about what he wrote and he had discovered or maybe rediscovered, since he had done this at school, just how much he actually enjoyed writing.

Buffy is so glad they are taking a couple of days out to do this. As she was thinking earlier it has been ages since she took a couple of days off just to relax and enjoy the world. She had almost forgotten how beautiful the world was, so consumed was she with this business of being the Slayer. Not a lot of time to look up and see the magnificence of the world when you are fighting to just stay alive. In fact by nature she tended to live each day as if it could be her last and back in Sunnydale there was a high probability every day could have been. That tends to leave little room for stopping to really take something in. This is why she loved this world trip they were on. She could finally slow down, take in the world and Clark while she was at it.

She glances up from the book she is reading and looks at him. He is so down to Earth and considering he isn't even from this planet that is saying something. Buffy figures it must come from being raised on a farm. He is still writing away. "How's it going?" she asks him.

Clark doesn't look up. "Hmm. Oh fine."

Buffy frowns. His tone was off there. She stands up and moves around him so she can see what he is up to but Clark tries to hide it. "Ok. What are you hiding?" she demands to know.

"Nuh uh. I'm not telling you."

Buffy tries to grab the bits of paper but Clark rapidly moves and gets to his feet so he can use his height advantage.

Buffy grins at him mischievously. "You know I'll get them Clark. You won't do anything 'super' with all these people around."

"You can try," Clark says to her laying down a challenge. In fact he was kinda curious to see what she would do since she couldn't exactly reveal her powers either.

Buffy cracks her neck and flexes a little bit. "Alright mister. You asked for this." She lunges forward but Clark dodges her just keeping himself below using his abilities. Well at least no obvious use of his abilities.

Buffy gets a look of pure determination on her face. She will get to see what he is hiding from her. She lunges. Clark dodges. She ends up chasing him around until she finally hooks his arm. "Ah ha! Got you now Clark!" she proclaims as she starts to literally climb up him as he holds the paper in his other hand above his head.

"Buffy!" Clark shouts in a half hearted protest when in fact he is having to do all he can not to laugh as she climbs over him since she is in fact tickling him.

Buffy reaches up and grabs the papers from Clark barely noticing that he is actually holding her off the ground by his arm wrapped around her waist while her legs are wrapped around his. She looks over what he was hiding and starts to smile. Around the edges Clark had been doodling but not just doodling anything. They were actually incredible likenesses of her. "Clark these are great. I didn't know you could draw."

Clark shrugs. He never thought he was that good. "I just like drawing. I mean I do have an eye for detail obviously. I have books filled with drawings at home."

Buffy looks up. Clark is holding her so they are the same height. She then moves her head forward and presses her her lips against his. Clark wraps his other arm around her and pulls her in tighter to his body. Once the kiss ends he continues to hold her gently in his arms. "Um what was that for?" Clark asks innocently.

"Just because I love you."

"Oh. I love you too."

"Buffy?" a new voice asks.

Clark looks over Buffy's shoulder to see a middle aged man standing next to a brunette woman who looks about half his age. What he hadn't noticed was the mixture of shock and rage that was flashing across Buffy's features. She lowers herself down and turns to face the two of them. She takes a moment to gather herself before she speaks. "Hello dad."

"Dad?" Clark can't help but repeat woodenly.

Buffy looks at her father sternly. "I'm afraid so."

"How are you?" Hank Summers asks his daughter.

Buffy laughs. Actually laughs. "Wow. That almost sounded like you cared."

"I do care Buffy."

"Right. That is why you came back to California after mom died. Oh wait that's right. You didn't. You just left me and Dawn to fend for ourselves. By the way Dawn's fine too and is going to college this year."

Clark protectively puts his arm around Buffy. He was seriously having to fight the urge to scorch Buffy's father with his heat vision. Buffy hadn't spoken that often about him but had heard the pain and anger in her voice when she did.

Buffy takes renewed strength from Clark. "I suppose I should introduce you. Clark this is my father Hank Summers. Dad this is Clark Kent, my fiancé, and I am not seeking nor do I need your permission to get married before you put on some fatherly act."

"Hello Mr Summers," Clark says as politely as he can considering how he is feeling and that is none too friendly. He gets that marriages break down. What he doesn't get is how Buffy's father seemed to forsake all his responsibilities as a father and move off to Spain without giving his 2 daughters a second thought. True he only has Buffy's side of the story but the pain in her eyes was confirmation enough.

"Hello," Hank says back noticing that this Clark did not offer his hand or even make a gesture that he was going to. He can only assume that is due to the less than pleasant way Buffy had probably talked about him. He knows that his daughter's view of him is not very high. Of course when he had decided to take a weekend off at the beach the last thing he expected to find was his daughter. And not just his daughter. His daughter and her fiancé apparently. Hank takes a minute to size him up and size is an issue. The guy is tall, over six foot easily, and built like a tank. Oh wait he should do some introductions as well as in regards to his girlfriend. "Maria this my daughter Buffy. Buffy you remember my secretary Maria."

Oh yeah Buffy remembers her alright. Little black haired hussy who has so obviously had a boob job since the last time Buffy saw her. She suppresses her urge to do many unpleasant things to 'Maria' although that is quite difficult...strike that. It is very difficult considering the way she is eyeing Clark right now. Clark must notice it too because he pulls Buffy closer to him and in response Buffy puts her arms around Clark's waist.

Buffy chews over her response. Does she really need to be that polite? "Hello," she says in a monotone. That is the limit of her politeness.

Hank can't but think this is incredibly awkward but now he has bumped into his daughter he would like to at least talk to her a bit. "So Dawn's going to college?"

Buffy's eyes narrow. "Don't."

"I'm sorry?" Hank asks a little lost.

"Don't pretend that you care because we both know you don't so don't insult my intelligence with this act."

At this moment Maria makes the terrible mistake of opening her mouth. "You should be more respectful to your father," she says with her Spanish accent.

Before anyone can move, even Clark, Buffy has strode forward and slapped Maria across the face with enough force to knock Maria to the ground.. "Bitch!" she roars in anger. "Don't you ever tell me what to do!"

Clark in an instant is over and holding Buffy's arms afraid she will go totally postal on Maria. Buffy struggles against Clark's grip. "Let me go Clark!" she demands. "She deserves everything I am going to give her."

"Buffy. Calm down. Please. She isn't worth it," Clark pleads trying to reason with her. He truly thinks that but also considering how strong Buffy is he is also concerned for the woman's health.

Buffy is nearly shaking with rage. Years of pent up anger at her father and his secretary are threatening to boil over but Clark's right. It isn't worth it. She can find some hapless vampire later to vent her anger out on. She takes a few deep breaths and tries to relax.

In the meantime Hank is helping Maria to her feet. This has caught him totally off. Not just the obvious rage in his daughter's eyes but the speed she moved at and the force she hit with. After all to look at Buffy is to see a fairly petite person. You wouldn't think she could move that fast or be that strong.

"Mr Summers I think it is best you leave," Clark not so subtly suggests. While he thinks Buffy should work things out with her father it is plainly obvious she is too angry to do that right now.

"And who are you to tell me what to do?" Hank asks Clark gruffly.

"Someone who loves your daughter and can see even if you can't you aren't going to resolve this today. Your partner will need ice on her cheek before it swells up and bruises. I suggest you make that your priority." Clark sensing Buffy has calmed a little goes back to his notebook and tears out a page and grabs a pen. He walks over to Hank. "Now if you genuinely want to repair your relationship with your daughter..."

Hank cuts him off. "Who are you to give me advice?"

Buffy gives her father a look that would result in him being roasted if she had heat vision. Clark maintains his calm resolve. "I told you. Someone who loves your daughter and knows her better than you do and before you argue that point think about how long it has been since you've spent time with her and realise that people change." Hank says nothing so Clark continues. "Now I was saying that is you want to fix this then you must realise it has to be on Buffy's terms not yours."

"What does that mean?" Hank asks.

"It means that it is up to Buffy what kind of relationship you have." Clark holds out the paper and pen. "Now write down how to contact you and when Buffy is ready she will tell you."

Hank looks at the young man dubiously and then looks at his daughter, looks at the anger clearly written on her face and it all suddenly makes sense. Buffy is so angry that if they talk right now it will end in a huge argument and he will lose whatever shot he has left at having a relationship with her. He takes the paper and writes down a phone number and hands it back to Clark.

Clark moves back next to Buffy. "Now as I was saying your partner will need ice. I suggest you do so quickly."

"Buffy," Hank begins. "I know you're angry at me but I still love you and Dawn. When you're ready I'm willing to try and fix our relationship." Buffy says nothing so Hank puts his hands on Maria's waist and guides her away with one last look at his daughter over his shoulder. At least she didn't say no he thinks hopefully.

Buffy watches her father until he vanishes into the throng of people on the beach. Her anger fading all the time. "Thank you for that," she tells Clark.

"It was nothing."

Buffy turns to face him. "No it was. I would have probably hit him too if he had tried to get us talking. We have issues the size of California."

"No! Really?" Clark says in mock surprise.

Buffy laughs and the tension fades from her body. She throws her arms around Clark's neck and moulds herself to his body. "I love you. Did I ever tell you that?"

"One or twice." They stand there is silence for a few minutes before Clark asks "Will you call him?"

"Maybe. I don't know. I need to think on it and talk to Dawn. Dawn needs to know about this too."

They go back and sit down with Buffy on Clark's lap. She lets out a breath and lets the last bit of tension flow out of her body. How does this kind of thing happen to her? She means she knew her father was in Spain but Spain is a big place. What were the odds that she and her father would be on the same beach on the same day?

She reckons pretty large. She rests her head on Clark's shoulder and he gives her a kiss on the side of her head and then rubs her back soothingly. Before she makes a decision on if she wants to talk to her father she will talk to Dawn first but that can wait until tonight.

* * *

"No way!" Dawn yells down the phone in disbelief as a reaction to what Buffy told her about meeting their father.

"Fraid so," Buffy responds. She was actually in her hotel room bed due to the time difference. There was no slaying to be done tonight she had decided. She and Clark were taking a break from everything. He is actually snoring softly next to her having dozed off about 20 minutes ago. He is really adorable when he is asleep.

"Is he still with..._her_?" Dawn asks with obvious hate at _her_.

"Yes. She was there too."

"What did you do?"

"I hit her."

"Really?"

"Yep," Buffy states proudly and can practically hear Dawn grinning in response.

"I wish I could have seen that," Dawn laments.

"There isn't much to say Dawn. She spoke. Her voice annoyed me. I hit her. I think i might have hit dad too but Clark stopped me. I haven't decided whether I'm sorry about that yet."

"So what did dad say?"

Buffy hesitates for a moment. "He wants to try and patch things up."

"Little late," Dawn comments.

"Maybe."

"Maybe?" Dawn asks with confusion.

"Dawn whatever sorry excuse of a man he is he is still our father but I didn't promise him anything. I wanted to talk to you first. If you want to talk to him I have a phone number."

"Can I think on it?"

"Sure. Take as long as you like. You know how to reach me." The phone beeps. "Hang on Dawn there is another call. I'll speak to you later."

"Right. Tell Clark I was asking for him."

"I will," Buffy assures her sister before she switches over. "Hello! Will? Whoa slow down Will. What happened?"

Willow is speaking so loud over the phone it wakes Clark up. "What is it?" he asks.

Buffy looks at him with concern all too evident in her eyes. "Someone has attacked the Headquarters," she tells him. In an instant Clark is dressed and amazingly so is Buffy. She looks at herself. Wow superspeed sure is handy. "Ok Will take a breath," Buffy tells her panicky sounding friend. She has been babbling this whole time and Buffy hasn't quite caught everything she has been saying. "Clark and I will be there in a few minutes...wait what was that last thing you said?"

Clark can see Buffy's eyes widen in response to what Willow is saying. "What do you mean they stole the scythe?!"

* * *

_Author's Note: Sorry it has been awhile but I finally managed to finish this chapter. It is really just filler to link the last arc to the next one and since I had Clark and Buffy in Spain I thought I would have them bump into her absentee father. I'll do my best to get the next chapter written as soon as I can. In the meantime thank you to all those who have written reviews._


	32. Part 3 Chapter 7: Home is where the scyt

Chapter 7: Home is where the scythe is not

_Author's Note: The whole next arc is inspired by the season 8 comic book story Wolves at the Gate with the appropriate changes to make it fit into my story._

* * *

A few minutes after she hung up on Willow Clark is lowering Buffy to the ground outside the castle that is Slayer HQ. Once inside they find the place in chaos and the slayers running around like headless chickens. Amidst all of this is Xander being buffeted around as girls rush past him. "So I take a small extended vacation and the place falls to pieces," she says wryly.

Xander turns to the voice. "Hey Buff," he greets her with eerie calm that comes form having seen way too much of stuff like this.

"What happened?" she asks.

"Well," Xander says. "It began when some witch got the drop on Will and kicked her ass."

"Hey!" A voice belonging to said Willow yells. She marches right up to Xander. "She. Did. Not. Kick. My. Ass," she says punctuating every word with a jab to Xander's shoulder with her finger. "And she only surprised me because Andrew distracted me."

Buffy rolls her eyes. "When did Andrew get back?"

"About the same time we were attacked," Andrew answers as he appears from behind Clark. Andrew takes him in. "I didn't know we had guests."

Buffy waggles her finger at him. "Not guest. Fiancé." Buffy then spots what how Andrew is dressed in a long nightshirt and hat. Frankly he looks ridiculous. "And why are you dressed like that?"

"I was in bed and besides it could be worse. I could have been naked like Faith and that Asian girl," Andrew responds.

"Asian Girl?" Buffy inquires from Xander and Willow.

"Satsu," they answer at the same time.

Buffy arches a blond eyebrow. "Didn't you have a fling with her?" Buffy asks Willow.

"Twice!" Willow protests. "I slept with her twice. I don't think that quite counts as a fling."

Buffy brow furrows into a frown. "I didn't know Faith was into girls," she comments.

"You should know B," Faith says announcing her presence as she walks down the hallway to the group, "that I am not exactly picky."

"Should I take that as an insult?" Xander queries since he himself has slept with Faith.

Buffy waves her hands in the air. "Ok. I seriously think that can wait until you fill me in on what exactly happened here."

The group retire to the command centre so Buffy can be filled in as well as watch the security tapes. It turns out that they had been attacked by a group of Oriental vampires who it seems had planned the whole thing in order to steal the scythe. She stands with Clark behind her with his hands wrapped around her as they watch the attacking vampires shape-shift through various animals and into fog.

"Definite transmogrification abilities," Willow comments absently.

Buffy shakes her head. "But they're vampires!" she protests. "How is this allowed? Did I miss a meeting?"

"Trust me," Willow says as she pushes a lock of her red hair behind her ear. "Lots of things aren't making sense about this."

The images freeze on a male Asian vampire. "He's definitely the leader," Xander points out.

Buffy takes in the image for a good few moments committing it to memory because when she finds him she is going to make him pay. "Where's Giles by the way?" she asks.

"Back in Cleveland," Willow answers. "There was a spike in activity with its Hellmouth," she explains.

Buffy walks forward out of Clark's arms and move closer to the big screen that dominates the room. "They took the scythe."

Willow moves next to her. "I know."

"That means they know about the spell."

"I know," Willow says again.

Clark moves next to Xander. He knows that sometimes he is slow on the pick-up but this time he thinks he understands the train of thought. "This is very bad isn't it," he says to Xander.

"Yep," Xander says simply. "It was through that spell that we activated all the slayers so in theory if someone powerful enough possesses it..."

"They could undo it," Buffy finishes. She turns around to face the gang and the many slayers who have crowded into the room. Each and every one of them was now at risk. Her and Faith were alright as their slayer powers had been activated naturally, assuming you call being about 10 times stronger than you should be natural, but the those whose powers came from the scythe were now all in danger. "We need to get it back."

"We'll get them Buff," Xander says trying to sound reassuring. "I mean how many Japanese vampire Goth gangs can there possibly be?"

"Are they even vampires?" Faith asks. "I mean I have never seen ones who could change into fog."

"Not just fog," Willow adds. "We've got reports of them turning into a swarm or bees and into wolves and panthers..." She trails off and her eyes lock with Buffy. They have come to the same realisation. They both turn to look at Xander.

"What? Why are you looking at me?" he asks. Then his one eye widens as he reaches the same realisation. He closes his eye and bows his head slightly. "Aw crap."

* * *

A little later while waiting to see if any of the other slayer cells spread across the globe have got any info on the mysterious attackers Buffy finds Clark looking at her funny. "What?" she asks.

"Nothing," he replies. Buffy's gaze intensifies. "It is just...Dracula's real?!" he exclaims still in shock. Buffy had explained after Xander left all about how the only vampire they knew with such powers was Dracula. Now he had seen as many Dracula movies as the next person. He had read the original Bram Stoker novel. He just had no idea that there was a real living Dracula that they were based on so forgive him if he is a little bit in shock.

"Yes he is," Buffy replies. "Met him a few years back."

"Yeah when he tried to turn Buffy into one of his undead brides," Willow adds deliberately knowing that Buffy would not have mentioned it otherwise.

Clark's face darkens to the point that he looks incredibly intimidating. "He what?!" he says, his voice low and dangerous.

"Thanks a lot Will," Buffy mutters before she goes over to Clark and places her hand on his arm where she can feel the tension in his muscles. "It's ok Clark. I rejected him and then totally kicked his butt."

"But not kill him?"

Buffy shrugs. "Like in his movies he is kinda impossible to kill but I stuck a stake in him...twice if that makes you feel any better."

"Not really," Clark mutters still clearly unhappy at this news that his fiancée nearly became an undead bride of Dracula.

"Was it safe to let Xand go by himself to see Drac?" Faith asks from her position in the corner where she is twirling her stake around in her hand.

"He isn't alone," Buffy corrects Faith. "We sent Renee with him." Of course the reason for that is so they don't run the risk of Xander ending up under Dracula's thrall again.

"Besides he and Dracula did some major male bonding that summer after Anya died. You know after we retrieved Buffy from Smallville," Willow adds to the conversation. Feeling down and deciding he needed some time away from things himself just like Buffy had when she ended up in Smallville Xander had ended up going to Transylvania for a couple of months. "You see after our first meeting they kept in touch. Xander would write Dracula a letter every month or so and Dracula would write back. They have a very special relationship," Willow tries to explain.

Buffy grins mischievously. "Yeah. Xander is his butt monkey."

Both she and Willow burst out laughing while Clark exchanges a look with Faith that shows how they are both missing out on this joke.

* * *

Meanwhile Xander and Renee are landing outside Dracula's castle having flown here by helicopter. The helicopter had shown up when they had been going through what assets remained of the old Watcher's Council after its destruction at the hands of the First. They had found a lot of strange things that the Council had once owned.

"You know when I said I wanted a date," Renee says as she climbs out of the helicopter, "this isn't what I meant," she complains.

"I know," Xander replies. He had been promising Renee a proper date for ages. Something that they hadn't actually managed yet since they had started their relationship.

Renee continues. "I was thinking something less...helicopter-y."

"I'll make it up to you," Xander promises as he too exits the helicopter.

They start to walk towards the main door. "I'm not even sure what I'm suppose to be doing here," Renee points out to Xander.

"You just need to keep an eye on me. Make sure I don't do anything strange," Xander explains vaguely.

"What do you mean 'strange'?" Renee asks as they walks up the steps to the door

"It's noting to worry about," Xander says trying to sound reassuring. "It is just...sometimes when I get around this guy, I start acting...wonky."

"Like 'wonky' how?" she asks as Xander knocks on the door. Xander doesn't answer. "Xander, like wonky how?" she asks again getting increasingly concerned about what is about to happen here.

Before Xander can say anything the door opens to reveal a man with shoulder length black hair and hypnotic brown eyes wearing a white shirt with frills, a black waistcoat and trousers and a long black cape. "Hello Manservant," he says in a deep Eastern European accent.

"Hey," Xander says cheerfully. "How's it going..." He bows his head as he his voice quietens to one of respect. "Master."

* * *

It having been a day since the initial attack and not having heard from Xander or gotten any other leads Clark had finally persuaded Buffy to get some sleep. She had spent most of the last 24 hours prowling like a caged lioness that was ready to strike at any time. Even in her sleep she seemed tense. He can understand her anxiety. Everything she has built here is under threat of being destroyed.

Of course there is also just the effect of the waiting. Clark hates that too. Something bad has happened but you don't know who is behind it so you just have to wait until you do know even when your instincts are screaming at you to do something.

He himself hadn't been able to get to sleep. Not that he needs much. Lately it seems he can get by with only a couple of hours. He thinks it must be a consequence of the fact he is simply getting older. When he was little he slept as much as any human but he noticed during his teenage years that he required less and less sleep and the same time his powers were coincidentally, or more likely not, growing almost daily. During his training with Jor-El he had discovered he could easily manage several days without any sleep at all.

He finds himself at this moment sitting in the deserted dinning hall eating some leftovers with only the occasional slayer visiting to do the same.

"Couldn't sleep either huh."

Clark turns his head to find Faith standing there in what he assumes passes for her nightwear which is to say not very much. It consists of a white vest and black panties. "No," he replies. "But I don't need much sleep" he says airing what he was thinking before Faith came in.

Faith sits in the chair across the table from him and picks a piece of chicken off his plate. "How's B?"

Clark lets out a sigh. "Too stressed," is his reply.

"Yeah that sound's like B," Faith comments. Buffy always did carry too much of the world's burdens on her shoulders.

"So what are you doing up?" Clark asks Faith.

"Thinking about how much I screwed up this time."

Clark cocks his head quizzically at her.

"I am meant to be the one in charge here. I am suppose to stop stuff like this happening except when it really mattered I was in bed getting my rocks off with a 17 year old who saw me as a substitute for Buffy."

"Huh?" Clark asks totally lost.

"Satsu," Faith says. "She has a crush on Buffy."

"So she slept with you because you're what? The next closest thing?"

"Guess so." Faith then looks at Clark intently. "You ain't bothered that Satsu has a crush on B?" she queries.

"No more so than those men who spent all day ogling her when we were on the beach," Clark answers.

"You know you are remarkably open minded for someone from small town USA."

"My best friend is dating Willow," he reminds her.

"There is that."

"And I originally come from another galaxy altogether."

"That too."

"And my parents were very understanding people who never judged...except when it came to Lex Luthor but that is a whole other story."

Faith picks up another piece of chicken and pops it in her mouth and chews it deliberately slowly. "Hey did you see Andrew's little lecture about Drac to the girls?" Faith asks him trying to lighten the mood.

"Some of it," Clark replies. Andrew was a very strange guy who gave the lecture in the supposedly original costume George Hamilton wore in Love at First Bite.

"You know he'll freak once he finds out you're E.T."

"Then I guess I won't tell him then and I prefer intergalactic traveller."

"Noted."

"It wasn't your fault," Clark tells her.

"Wasn't it?"

"I've talked to Willow. There is no way you could have known Faith. Dracula," and Clark still can't quite get his head around that Dracula is real, "is suppose to be the only one to have these powers. You can't prepare for the unknown. Trust me I know." Clark takes a bite of the now almost finished chicken on his plate. He has had lots of experience of the unknown just flaring up in his life. That starts with when his new abilities would just pop up at any given moment or when Jor-El first started speaking to him or when those 2 Kryptonians appeared followed by Zod and then Brainiac and then the escaped prisoners from the Phantom Zone, his bizarre double, vampire Lana...Clark lets out a breath.

"I wonder," Faith begins to say careful never to say 'I wish'.

"Wonder what?"

"What would have happened if I had met you first instead of B?"

Clark looks at her questioningly.

"It would just have been nice to meet one decent guy for a change who wasn't already attached at the hip." This comes from the fact she is certain many of the other men she has known over the years would be blaming the whole thing on her but not Clark. She wonders if he has a judgemental bone in his body.

Clark gives her a little sympathetic smile. "I don't think that was meant to be Faith."

"Yeah. You're probably right. You aren't my usual type anyway."

"Nor mine," Clark adds. "But if it makes you feel better I do think you are a very attractive woman."

"Serious?"

"Yeah when I was under red kryptonite being Kal, who is basically a more brutally honest side of me, back in Smallville I can definitely say that a part of me wanted you." He can't lie and say that he didn't because he did. Clark is not a saint. He has erotic thoughts and fantasies just like anyone else.

A enormous grin breaks out on Faith's face. "You and every other guy on this planet," she says, her self-assuredness cockiness back. "And you know if you and B are ever interested I am totally up for a threesome."

A red tinge adorns Clark's cheeks. "I'll keep that in mind," he says not sure what else to say.

Faith stands up, walks round the table and gives Clark a small kiss on the cheek. Clark looks at her a little surprised. "Thanks for listening," she tells him genuinely. "And by the way if you tell anyone what I said I will hurt you in ways you can't even begin to imagine."

Clark makes a gesture of zipping his lips closed. Just then Willow walks in. "There you two are."

"What's up Red?"

"Couple of things. Xander called and we've got a lead on the ones who attacked us," she tells them.

* * *

"He lost his powers gambling for a motorcycle??!!!" Buffy exclaims quite loudly in disbelief at what Xander has reported. It seems Dracula had been trying to win a motorcycle and he gambled the secrets of his powers in the wager and then lost.

"Well so my Master says," Xander says in reply over the video link. Buffy and Willow shakes their heads simultaneously at the Master remark. "But he claims they must have cheated. It was their witch that dealt the hand. You know the one that kic..."

Willow cuts Xander off. "If you so much as utter the words 'kicked Willow's ass' I will turn you into a toad Xander Harris," she warns him.

"Um right. Sorry. Anyway my mast...I mean Dracula is willing to aid us in stopping these guys. Nobody steals from 'The Lord of Darkness'."

One of the girls in the command centre snorts. "The only Lord of Darkness is Ozzy Osborne," a distinctly English accent pronounces.

Xander decides it best not to respond to that. "So if you tell us where to go we'll depart on my Master's ship and meet you there."

"We'll have to get back to you on that. We're still waiting for the info," Buffy answers.

"That's ok. Me and my moor are having a wonderful time." Renee hits Xander across the back of the head. "Sorry! I'm sorry," he pleads. Moor is what Dracula had been calling Renee from the second they got here and he can't seem to stop himself from repeating it despite knowing how terrible a term it is. Funny thing is he can't remember his mast...he has to stop thinking that. He can't remember Dracula being this racist when they spent their time together before.

"We've got a call incoming," one of the girl's announces.

"Xander this is the call we've been waiting for. We'll call you back," Buffy tells him. The video feed switches over to a Japanese girl. "Aiko?"

"Wow it's really you," the girl says in awe at the image of Buffy.

"Yep. It's really me," Buffy says back. "So what have you got?"

"The guy you are looking for goes by the name of Toru. He leads an vampire sect that has been making waves in the demon underground. They're known for turning into wolves when the mood strikes them."

"Yep. That sounds like our guys. How did you get the intel?"

"I asked around," Aiko answers while the shot widens out to show large green demons in the background with pained faces lying about in varying stages of being dead or dying.

"Are those Kabuki demons?" Buffy asks.

"They were Kabuki demons."

"Those things are vicious," Buffy comments.

"You're telling me. I think one of them actually scratched me," Aiko remarks while looking at a tear in her outfit on the arm.

"You got a location on these vamps?"

"Yep."

"Good. Keep surveillance but DO NOT APPROACH." Buffy feels that is very important. With Dracula's powers these vamps were virtually unkillable.

"Got it," Aiko says lightly.

"I'm serious Aiko," Buffy says. "You wait for us. We'll be in touch." She then cuts the link. "Tell Xander where to go," she tells Will who nods in response. Buffy turns to Faith who is standing in the corner. "Faith. Look I know that you are in charge."

Faith cuts Buffy off with a raising of her hand. "This is something you need to do. I get it."

"Thank you." Buffy turns to Satsu. "Prep the others. I want us ready to go in an hour."

"How many?" Satsu asks.

"All of them."

"Is that wise?" Satsu asks. "Shouldn't we leave some here as a safeguard?"

"If we don't get that scythe back it won't matter. Besides this isn't a debate Satsu. That was an order."

"Yes ma'am."

Buffy watches Satsu depart the command centre clearly unhappy. "Well I think that helps her get over her crush on you if you talk to her like that," Willow remarks.

"What? Being engaged didn't do it?" she asks her friend. Buffy has known full well of Satsu's crush on her for awhile.

"Not that I noticed."

"Great," Buffy says with sarcasm. She makes her way to the back of the room where Clark is. "You coming?" she asks him.

"Do you want me to?" he asks back.

"Of course. I told you about how we share enemies now. Besides I'm pretty certain we could use an invulnerable super strong alien for something."

Clark smiles at her humour. "Then I'll come."

Buffy stands on her tip toes and kisses him. "One condition. This is a mission and I'm in charge and there can only be one leader."

"I'll follow your orders Buffy as long as you remember that a good general listens to those around them when they give advice."

"Deal. By the way how's your Japanese?"

"Non-existent," Clark admits honestly. He hadn't gotten around to learning it yet since he didn't think they would get to Japan for several months yet.

"We'll get you a phrase book."

* * *

To get all the girls to Japan they are flying in a troop transport plane. Just another of the weird and wonderful things the old Council owned. Willow is sitting next to a depressed looking Satsu as she takes in Clark holding Buffy in his arms. "You know if she hadn't met Clark I think she might have considered it," Willow says.

Satsu's head turns to look at Willow. "What?"

"Buffy. I think she might have considered it if she hadn't met Clark."

Satsu turns back to look at the couple. "Uh huh," she says not very convinced. "She looks kind of..."

"Straight?" Willow offers.

Satsu nods. "Yeah," she says sadly.

"Buffy is open minded. I know for a fact she once thought about getting it on with Faith. You know before Faith went all evil on us and tried to help the mayor of Sunnydale destroy the world but Clark...Clark reminds her of herself before the spell. All alone in the world. Its burdens on his large, broad, muscular shoulders. If I was still into guys I would be on him in a second." Satsu looks at Willow with some surprise. "Oh come on. Don't tell me you can't see it. An honest decent guy that looks like that. No-one is that blind."

"No. I guess not," Satsu replies still sounding down. God. Of all the people she had to develop feelings for why did it have to be Buffy.

"I don't regret it you know," Willow says. "That we slept together," she elaborates. "It was good." It had been not long after she broke up with Kennedy. It had helped restore her confidence after that debacle.

"It was," Satsu says in agreement. A tiny smile comes to her. "You were my first."

"Chloe's too actually," Willow mentions in relation to her girlfriend. "Well first girl. She slept with some guy whose name I choose not to remember."

Satsu's gaze turns to Clark.

"No. It wasn't Clark," Willow says correcting what she assumes Satsu is thinking. "So will you be alright?"

Satsu thinks for a moment. "I'm sure I will be."

"Good. Now. What is Faith like in bed?"

Satsu's head whips round so fast it almost causes a snapping sound. "What?!"

"What? You don't think I haven't thought about it? Trust me no-one is immune to that bad girl charm she has going and if I wasn't with Chloe I might give it some serious thought. Now don't hold out on a fellow sister."

"I am not telling you anything," Satsu says with a laugh suddenly feeling better that she has for weeks.

"Clark," Buffy says from her position in his arms. Like Clark often does he stands behind her with his arms around her like he is protecting her using his body as a shield.

"Yes Buffy," he answers. Buffy had felt it important they stay together as a group so Clark had accepted to fly to Japan this way even if it feels unnatural to be in a machine to fly.

"In what is to come you are going to see a part of me you might not like too much."

"I don't understand."

"Clark what we are going into...it is a war and I have to win it anyway I can. We are fighting for our survival here," she means the slayers, "and I can't afford to be forgiving or merciful. If our foes were human I would. I think you know I would but these are vampires and they have a weapon to wipe us out and I have to stop them by any means I can."

"I understand but know that I have a line I won't cross Buffy and I won't let you cross it either even if that means I have to fight you to stop you."

"I'd like to see you try," she jokes.

Clark chuckles softly and kisses the top of Buffy's head. "I love you Buffy and well you have seen the side of me that I don't like," referring to Kal, "I guess it is my turn to see the side of you you don't like and then once all this is over we'll talk and see where we are."

"Good plan and I love you too."

Buffy's phone rings. She answers it. "Hello! Aiko? Is that you?...We'll be landing shortly...You have Toru in sight? Good. Keep an eye on him. We should be landing at oh-five-hundred your time."

"Don't worry," Aiko says. "If I can't keep an eye on him for that long then I'll hand in my slayer card," she jests before she hangs up.

They arrive in Tokyo at the time Buffy said and make their way into the centre to be greeted by the sight of a girl strung up to the side of a building with Japanese script under her written in her own blood.

"Is that Aiko?" one of the slayers asks.

"It is," Buffy says her resolve hardening and her anger growing.

"What does it say?" another asks.

Clark answers that one having studied a phrase book on the way over just like Buffy suggested as he tries to push down his own feelings of revulsion and anger. "Tokyo he youkoso."

"What does that mean?" Faith asks feeling as angry as Buffy is at this moment.

"Welcome to Tokyo."


	33. Part 3 Chapter 8: Tokyo I

Chapter 8: Tokyo I

The Chosen One. That is what Buffy was meant to be. The One Girl in all the World meant to stop the vampires and demons and whatever else the patrons of hell threw at her. Then she died. Twice. Her second resurrection created an imbalance in the whole good vs evil battle. That was when the First Evil stepped in and tried to erase the slayer line. Her resurrection created the window, the opening. Now that whole balance has been thrown off kilter. Both sides are spiralling around each other towards a final battle that will settle it for generations to come. The battle in the Hellmouth that destroyed Sunnydale was only the opening salvo in the war that is to come. The First tried to unleash an army of these uber vampires but Buffy she retaliated by activating every potential slayer in the world.

And what has this achieved one may ask. Well at this precise moment it has achieved her having to carry one dead girl whose life had barely begun in her arms. Aiko was good though Buffy had never met her in person. Bottom line was that she is only one person and she can't be everywhere. Not even to met the lieutenants in her army. Essentially that is what the leaders of every cell are. She thinks Willow was the one to pick Aiko. It had been Willow that had gone to Asia to set things up. Xander had gone to Africa after his little vacation with Dracula while she had stayed in Europe. Giles dealt with the Americas both North, Central and South and Andrew...they had sent Andrew to wherever they felt he was needed. As strange as it sounds Andrew had become an asset in all this. Sure he was geeky and annoying but he had proved himself someone who could be trusted.

Buffy's gaze drops to the body in her arms that they had wrapped after they had cut Aiko down. She is taking Aiko home to where her cell is based. Not that she has any idea what she is going to say to them or to anyone else. Not to Clark even who is walking beside her. She doesn't turn to look at him or those eyes of his because she knows what she will see. Forgiveness. Forgiveness for her like he thinks she blames herself. Well she does but that is hardly the point. She doesn't need his forgiveness right now. That will only lessen her anger and she needs her anger to stiffen her resolve and harden her heart.

They reach the slayer base outside Tokyo in the countryside. Buffy has see the look of shock, hear the gasps of horror and the tears shed for the loss of their leader as she walks inside past all the girls through the gates of the outer wall. There is a small temple within the grounds where she lays Aiko down before she slumps in the corner with her knees folded up to her chest.

Seeing Buffy like that Clark moves to be with her but finds his arm grabbed. He turns his head to see it is Faith. "Don't," she tells him. "She needs time alone."

Clark turns his gaze back to Buffy, his heart breaking at the sight of her. His instincts are telling him to go to her.

"Faith's right," Willow says in agreement. "She needs to clear her head. Only then will she listen to anything you have to say."

Clark shakes Faith off and walks in anyway. He sits down next to Buffy and says nothing. He simply puts his arms around her and is pleased when she leans into him and rests her head on his shoulder. He didn't disagree with Willow or Faith that Buffy needed to clear her head. It was obvious even to him by the expression on her face that she had had since they found Aiko. He just didn't think she should be alone so this is his compromise. Just to sit here with her in silence and for her to know that he is there when she is ready.

They sit there in silence for hours until after the sun sets. "So you going to talk to me now?" Clark asks once he has noticed the sun has set. He thinks that maybe he has let this drag on too long. Especially considering how urgent it was that they get the scythe back. Buffy says nothing. "It's ok if you don't because I'm in no rush. I can do this for days. I just thought you might be getting hungry with your slayer metabolism and all."

It takes a few moments but she finally responds. "Smart ass," she snarks.

A small smile plays on Clark's lips. "Your head clear now?"

"I have been thinking about what to do next," she tells him.

"Ah and what is that?"

"I have no idea," she admits.

"Need some help?" Willow asks from the threshold. "At the very least I could conjure up some blankets." She shivers and rubs her own arms as the temperature has dropped markedly since the sun set. "Who knew Japan was this cold?"

Buffy cuddles into Clark's warmth. "Nah. I'm good. I have my own personal heater right here."

Faith walks in. "So you ready you get some payback now?" she asks.

"It is not about payback Faith," Buffy says. "It is about getting the scythe back."

"If we had any idea where it was," Faith points out.

"Except we don't," Willow points out.

"Aiko found out about the vampire gang by asking around. Maybe we should do the same," Clark suggests.

A light-bulb clicks on in Buffy's head at that. She stands up abruptly. "That is a great idea. That is exactly what we should do."

Clark gets to his feet while Willow asks "What?"

"We need to find one of these vampires and ask them," Buffy explains.

"Yeah. Easy to say and so forth," Willow says not sounding very convinced by this idea.

"Yeah but there has to be a way Will."

Willow thinks about it. "Well. Assuming we can even locate them..."

Buffy interrupts. "You saw how they strung up Aiko. They're not exactly going lo-pro here Will."

"Then it is just a matter of getting one of 'em to hold still."

"Which is kind of hard when they turn into fog," Faith says pointing out the not so tiny little flaw in the plan so far.

Willow cocks her head like she is conceding that point. "If Giles was here he'd say 'precisely' and rub his glasses on his shirt."

"I'm assuming you've considered using Carolina's grasp," a voice with an Eastern European accent suggests.

Clark, Buffy, Faith and Willow turn to see who it is.

"I mean you're not complete idiots, are you?" Dracula asks standing there in a grey suit, waistcoat with a darker top hat and wearing small round sunglasses. Behind him Xander is running to catch up with 4 suitcases in hand.

"Oh Good. It's you," Buffy says insincerely.

"And Xander!" Willow adds happily while wondering where Renee is. Oh wait there she is as she comes into view.

"Who's Grasping Carolina's what now?" Buffy asks.

"It's a rudimentary containment spell," Dracula says like he is saying the painfully obvious. "Do you still have a witch in your employ?"

"I'm standing right here," Willow points out trying not to sound offended that he hadn't noticed her.

"Ah yes. I should have recognised your acrid stench. Now go get two grams of crimson powder, a sprig of dwarfwhistle and some sea salt. I'll teach you the incantation."

Faith raises her hand. "Um question. How did you get here so quickly by ship?" After all they only got here this morning by plane.

"The powers that were stolen from me are only the tiniest fraction of what I possess."

"In other words," Xander says out of breath as he enters the temple. "My master's ship bends the laws of time and space a bit." He all but drops the suitcases to the floor. "Hi guys," he says greeting everyone.

"Is somebody going to finish eating this?" Dracula asks standing next to Aiko's body.

Clark growls unhappily.

"Slayer," Dracula says addressing Buffy. "I strongly suggest you keep your lover in line and have him show me more respect."

Faith shakes her head. "Ooh. Shouldn't have said that," she says warningly. Clark had looked grouchy from the second Drac arrived and talking to Buffy the way Drac did just there isn't going to win him brownie points with Clark.

Clark's eyes take on an inhuman red glow as he stands toe to toe with Dracula. "How about you show more respect to the dead."

Dracula looks at the boy distastefully. "Don't think you can intimidate me boy. I've killed more men than all of God's plagues combined."

Buffy moves over and places her hand on Clark's arm. "Clark as much as I hate to say it we need him."

The glow fades until the blue of Clark's eyes becomes visible again. "Fine. Just don't expect me to be my usual polite self." He then stalks off outside.

"Such disrespect," Dracula comments.

"Word of advice. Don't make Clark mad if you expect to live a few more centuries," Buffy advises.

"I cannot be slayed like a common vampire as you are well aware."

"Uh huh. Well Clark can kill you in uncommon ways." Buffy thinks Clark could probably throw Dracula into the sun if he wanted to. "By the way how did you know he was my lover?"

Dracula answers like it should be obvious. "Your scents are all over each other."

Typical. Buffy hates vampire senses. She follows Clark outside. "I'm not jealous," he says as Buffy comes up beside him.

"I never said you were," she responds.

"I'm just saying in case that is what you're thinking. It has nothing to do with him trying to turn you into his undead bride."

"I believe you," she assures him.

Clark frowns. "I just don't like vampires. You remember back in Paris how I said Lana made my skin crawl because she had become a vampire."

"Uh huh."

"I wasn't making that up. Vampires do make my skin crawl. It is like I can sense the aura of death around them."

Buffy tilts her head curiously at Clark. "Same here," she remarks.

Clark turns his head to look at her with a quizzical expression. "Um didn't you date 2 vampires?"

Buffy shrugs. "You probably won't like this answer but it made the experience more interesting. You know being with something that the slayer in me was repulsed by."

"You're right...I don't like that answer."

They both laugh slightly and the tension lifts. They both turn around to see Dracula and Willow chatting. "He's telling Willow about that spell he mentioned," Clark informs Buffy.

"Ah. In that case we just need to find one of the vamps."

"How are you planning to do that?" Clark asks her.

The cogs in Buffy's mind grind round. "I have an idea. Your average vamp is fairly predictable so it shouldn't be too hard to lure one into a trap. I just need a volunteer and a trampy school uniform."

* * *

"Tech support says we'll be online within 12 hours," Raidon, Toru's lieutenant, informs his leader.

"Tell them to hurry. The slayer's already on the ground," Toru orders. His spies had spotted her and he knew she would make her move soon. He just needed to hold her off until he was finished. On the roof of the building they were in they had constructed a giant lens that would amplify the power of the scythe and allow them to completely reverse the spell that activated all the slayers. In a single stroke he would restore the balance in favour of his kind. "Where are we at in countermeasures?" Toru inquiries.

"The robotics division is up and running. Though I still contend they're wasting their time," he tells his leader expressing his opinion of what was being planned.

"You have no sense of imagination, do you Raidon?"

"I'm fairly certain it died with my soul," he dryly remarks. "What is Kumiko doing?" he asks in relation to their witch. The one that would make their plan possible.

"I think she's praying..." Toru's gaze turns to the ceiling where the dark haired witch is hanging from it upside down seemingly in a trance. "Though it is always hard to tell with her." Toru turns his gaze out the window onto the street below. "Lets move a few squadrons around back to the Matsuya entrance," he decides. "And tell our soldiers to be ready for anything. I'm guessing these girls won't hit us from the front."

* * *

Ren stands at his assigned place. He is to look for and report any slayer activity. He takes out a cigarette and places it in his mouth while he fiddles in his pocket for his lighter. This must be the worst job ever and worse still he is starving. What he wouldn't give for a nice young tender meal right about now he thinks as he lights his cigarette.

"Help me! Please somebody help me!" a voice cries out. Ren looks up and sees a dark skinned girl running toward him dressed in a school uniform of white shirt, tie and very short skirt. Well it seems his luck is changing.

"What's the matter little one?" he asks with false concern. It is always much easier to get the prey to trust you if you come across as benign.

"Oh thank god," the girl says gratefully. "You speak English. Please help me. I'm so lost and frightened."

Ren suppresses the grin that is threatening to come to his face. This is too good to be true. Seeing this girl look so lost and alone. She even has a tear trickling down her cheek. Continuing his act Ren takes off his jacket to give to her. "Where are you headed?"

"My parochial school was on a field trip to Shinjuku and I wandered off looking for he Bathing Ape Store," she explains as she takes his jacket and puts it on. "And now I don't know how to get back to my hotel because all the street signs in Japan are in Japanese for some reason."

Ren can't believe it. Young, tender and stupid. It is his lucky day. He starts to lead her into the nearby park. "All right calm down," he says reassuringly so she will trust him. "I'll get you where you need to go."

"Really?" the girl asks.

"Of course," Ren assures her. "Here. Why don't we cut through the park," he suggests. 'Where I can lure you into a nice secluded spot so I can drink your blood,' he thinks to himself.

Thank God you came along when you did," the girl tells him with utmost gratitude. "I was so scared," she confesses.

"Well you have to be careful," Ren says while he has a look around to see if anyone is there. Seeing no-one he vamps out. "You never know who you could run into out here." But before he can bit her there is rustling in the trees above him where he spots 3 figures. One of which he knows is Buffy Summers.

"Boy, you're telling me," Renee quips glad that this charade is over.

Willow casts the confinement spell. "Constrix! Deficio!" A magical box forms around the vampire.

"So," Buffy starts to say as she jumps to the ground. To make sure they pulled this off she decided to keep this op to only her, Renee who volunteered, Xander and Willow. On top of that she feared having Clark around would discourage her from the decisions she has to make so she got him to stay and keep Faith company and the reason for Faith not being here was rather obvious. Faith didn't really do subtle ad this op required some subtlety. Buffy lands gracefully on the ground. "Here's the problem we keep having," she says addressing their captive.

Xander by now is down on the ground and pointing a crossbow at the vampire while Willow maintains the spell.

Buffy continues. "Every time we try to fight one of you guys, you turn into air." Buffy starts to take the rucksack she has on off. "And it is really hard to hurt air." She reaches into her rucksack. "At least until you remember...air burns," she says as she pulls out a gas can.

She hands it over to Willow who floats up to the top of the box. "Pressi," Willow chants allowing her to pour the gasoline through the confines of the box onto the vampire.

"You're going to tell me everything I want to know," Buffy instructs the vampire in no uncertain terms.

"Okay, Okay," Ren concedes feeling genuine fear for the first time since he was given these powers.

Buffy continues like he didn't say anything. "And to be honest I'm hoping you choose to be difficult about it." It is a genuine wish. She has this burning anger about what happened to Aiko she really wants to let loose on someone.

"I won't! I promise! Don't burn me," Ren pleads. "I'll tell you everything you want!"

"Good. Where's the scythe?"

"Toru's got it! He's hold up in the Asikagi building downtown!"

Buffy folds her arms across her chest. "He wants to reverse the spell doesn't he?"

Ren nods. "Yes. He plans to turn all the slayers back into normal humans again."

"How?" Willow asks because undoing it in such a way that all the slayers are changed back at once is no easy feat. She hasn't been actually able to think of how it could be done.

"We have a witch, Kumiko. She can do the incantation. And we're building a lens that can amplify the spell," Ren explains.

Buffy shares a glance with Willow which silently asks whether what the vamp says will work which Willow returns with a silent 'yep'.

"How long before the lens is finished?" Xander asks.

"We're on alert. It's suppose to happen before dawn," Ren answers.

"That doesn't give us much time," Willow remarks.

"We should get moving," Buffy decides while she reaches into her inside pocket.

"Please," Ren pleads. "I told you everything I know. You have to let me go."

Buffy pulls out a lighter and clicks it on. "I never agreed to that," she says coldly and without remorse before she throws the lighter through the box igniting the vampire who dissolves in a ball of fire. Then she, Xander, Willow and Renee turn to leave to get back to the slayer base. They have preparations to make and as for what she did to the vamp Buffy doesn't have the time or inclination to be very merciful right now. After all this is war.


	34. Part 3 Chapter 9: Tokyo II

Chapter 9: Tokyo II

Clark stands at the entrance to the compound waiting for Buffy to return. He had reluctantly, very reluctantly he might add, abided by her decision to go off without him. He had agreed to do what she said during this whole affair. In fact he promised and he never breaks his word.

"Don't take it personal," Faith tells him as she saunters up next to him. "B has to do what she feels she has to do."

Clark lets out a sigh. "I know."

"You and her may be heading for wedded bliss but you don't know her like Red and Xand do. You don't know what it means to be a slayer. Sometimes you have to do some nasty shit and I think she is trying to delay that day you see it in her. The darkness I mean."

"We all have darkness," Clark points out. "Remember the fun time we had in Smallville when I threatened to kill you all."

"You threatened to kill B. I believe you were going to keep me around as a sex toy," Faith corrects him.

"Um...well...like I said you are attractive and well Kal is kind of a shallow guy."

"Kal is you," Faith reminds him of what he told her.

"Ok so part of me is a shallow guy," Clark admits. "I was raised like a human. I tend to think like one most of the time."

"Ah that is why you I keep catching you staring at my ass."

"What?!" he splutters. "I-I-don't!" he protests with a stutter. He then catches the smirk on Faith's face and sees that she was winding him up. "That is not funny."

"Yeah it is and by the way for future reference I do have a damn fine ass."

"Noted," he says and then out of their own volition his eyes drift down to Faith's behind covered in skin tight leather pants which accentuate her curves.

"Ha!" she shouts triumphantly. "Made you look," she says with a little smile that actually makes her kind of cute looking. Clark shakes his head at that thought he probably shouldn't be having and turns his gaze back out to the horizon.

Faith's gaze too turns out to the distance a little smug that she got B's fiancée to check her out. Not that she is trying to ruin what they have because she isn't. She is just having a little fun to help alleviate her boredom due to the fact she got left behind. In truth she wasn't really surprised that she wasn't asked along on this shindig and she thinks Renee only volunteered so Xander could see her in a school uniform. Well it wasn't like it wasn't something Faith herself wouldn't do to get a guy. "Think they'll be long?" she asks Clark.

"They're on their way back right now," he answers.

"How do you know?"

"I can hear the car approaching."

Faith stares off into the distance and sees nothing. "You sure?"

"It's not in visible range yet but I can hear Buffy from virtually any distance within reason," Clark explains.

What's 'within reason' for Clark she wonders. 50 miles. 100. 200. Who knows? Also that statement makes Faith come to a realisation. "Wait a minute. Wait 1 damn minute. That means that this whole time you knew exactly where she was and what she was up to."

"Yep," he confirms for her.

"And if she had gotten into trouble?"

"I would have been there in a heartbeat. She could have yelled at me afterwards but at least she would be alive to yell at me."

"Wow you have this whole other sneaky side I never imagined you had."

"Thanks I think."

Faith sighs. "If only you were single," she says wistfully. "I would be rocking your world right this second," she says with a wicked grin.

"And if I was Kal right this second I'm pretty sure I would be taking you up on that offer," Clark admits even if he isn't sure why he is admitting to Faith. He shakes his head. "I've been hanging around Buffy too long. I never use to say thinks like that," he adds.

Faith waves her hand dismissively. "It's alright. Good to know I haven't lost my touch."

* * *

The one thing Buffy regrets about taking charge again, even if it is temporary, is having to be aloof and cold from Clark. He is watching her as she gets ready for battle after she and the others had gotten back from their op. Part of her so badly just wants to go and take comfort in his arms but she is a general right now, Clark is a soldier in her army and this is war.

Clark is the biggest asset they have and at least he isn't going off on his own to try and get the scythe back. They have a witch and Clark is as vulnerable to magic as anyone. She has to use him wisely. Take the magic thing away and an entire army of vampires is no match for him.

"Want a weapon?" she asks him.

Clark shakes his head. "Don't need one. Heat vision remember."

Buffy tosses him a stake. "Take that anyway just in case."

Clark catches it deftly. Buffy had shown him when they trained together how to use it properly. He sticks it in the inside pocket of his jacket just to placate her. He hadn't missed her coldness around him. "You still wanting me to come?" he asks.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know. Why wouldn't you?"

"I wouldn't." She pulls her, what she thinks is a very fashionable, yellow jacket on and looks at him directly. "I told you Clark. This is me being who I have to be right now. I mentioned you may not like it. On the plus side at least you aren't going off on your own half-cocked this time like when you went after Brainiac."

"I promised you I wouldn't do that again and I always keep my word."

Buffy studies him for a second. His behaviour seems a little off his norm. "You know don't you?"

"Know what?" he asks too innocently.

"What I did in that park."

"You give me too much credit," he says too lightly.

"Clark," she says insistently.

"We'll talk once this is all over like we agreed. I promise I'll answer anything you want to know then." Clark starts to walk off. "See you on the battlefield ma'am," he says with a little salute for good measure.

Buffy watches him go not quite believing that she just found it really sexy when he called her ma'am.

* * *

"Do you regret what we did?" Satsu asks Faith as they wait outside for Buffy and co. to show along with hundreds of other slayers.

"Not in the sense you are thinking about. I regret I was distracted when the vamps showed up not that we were together at the time but we both know you were just using me as a substitute Su."

Satsu hangs her head a little bit in shame. "I'm sorry. It is just..."

"Yeah I know. B is really something but if we're being honest you must know I did it because I was feeling a bit lonesome," Faith admits in a rare piece of genuine honesty.

"Me too," Satsu admits in a similar vein.

"And I really had an itch I needed to be scratched," Faith adds. It had been well over a year since she broke up with Robin and therefore last had sex which is just way too long for Faith's liking.

"Ok...um...if I am being honest...me too."

Faith chuckles. "Been awhile had it?"

"Um...yeah. Since me and Willow it had been...a year I think."

"Yeah that is far too long considering." Considering slayers had super high sex drives.

"I don't know how Buffy lasted," Satsu remarks having watched Buffy become more and more on edge over the course of the year she waited for Clark to return.

"Oh you know. Cold showers, taking matters into her own hands. We all find our ways," Faith comments on how she manages. "Now she gets sex on a tap because from what I hear Clark don't tire."

"That is so unfair!" Satsu complains. "You know if I was into guys that is," she amends.

Faith shrugs. "Hey you never know. Maybe he isn't the only one left. Maybe he has some super hot blond girl cousin or something out there," she says in jest.

Satsu so wishes that was true.

* * *

Renee is trying to get ready for this op with Xander trying to say something about making tonight their first date but he is not making himself clear. "I'm sorry what?"

"Okay. Just hear me out on this one," he requests while he tries to make himself clear. "First dates are ALWAYS awkward right? There's so much pressure. You have to worry about what to say, and what to wear and what to do. I get the bad butterflies just thinking about it."

Renee zips up her stab proof vest which is also handy when dealing with all those teeth and claws they face all the time. "Is there such a thing as a 'bad butterfly'?" she asks him.

Xander continues to babble on nervously. "And that's just the beginning of the date. Then, assuming it goes well, you have to worry about THE END. 'Is it too early to go for the kiss?'"

"Xander," Renee says interrupting him. "We have already kissed," she points out to him.

"But we haven't had a 'Date Kiss'. That makes all the difference," he explains like that is meant to make sense.

Renee shakes her head. Sure she really, really likes Xander but sometimes he completely baffles her. "So let me get this straight. To avoid the first date awkwardness you want to count tonight as our first date. A date where you," she counts what she did off on her fingers, "dressed me up like a schoolgirl," even though she volunteered, "used me as bait on the streets of Japan. Lit a vampire on fire. **Then**, geared up to go into battle with several hundred other girls, and..." she gestures across the room, "Dracula."

"I resent that," Dracula complains as he inspects his sword. "Also I would never go on a date with the two of you. Even if you begged."

Xander nods. "Hmm, hmm," he says in way of confirmation.

"Yeah. There is no way I'm letting you off the hook on this one Harris. This is definitely not a date," she tells him. She is going to get a decent date off of him if it kills her. "But I will make one part easy for you." Renee then cups his face, pulls it towards her and presses her lips to his. She pulls back with a huge smile which Xander is matching. "That, on the other hand, was a 'Date Kiss' and now you don't have to worry about what happens at the end," she tells him.

Xander smiles giddily, cups Renee's face and kisses her with Dracula watching on. When it becomes clear they aren't going to stop any time soon Dracula coughs like he is clearing his throat. "Ahem. We have to go to war now. Please stop that."

They don't.

* * *

There has to be a thousand vampires total surrounding the building by Buffy's count. The girls are in position around the perimeter. She had left Faith to be in charge on them. No-one else she would trust to lead the hundreds of slayers though numbers don't matter. Not this time. Not when their foes can disappear at will. Even Clark would have major problems with this many with those kind of powers and she isn't sure whether their witch is aware of Clark yet or not. She hopes not.

"We can't fight these guys when they can just disappear," Xander points out.

Didn't she just say that?...or did she only think that? Buffy wonders silently.

"And I don't suppose **you** have any bright ideas?" Renee asks Dracula.

Dracula looks at her derisively. "On how to slay vampires? Isn't that your crew's little area of expertise?"

Buffy notices that Clark is saying nothing. Just following along like a good little soldier which she knows he must hate but is doing it for her. He even dressed down for this to blend in. The primary colour clothes were gone. He hadn't gone for black. It was more a dark blue shirt and jacket and jeans. Wise choice when you don't want your best clothes ruined and he still looks gorgeous. "I'm not looking for a fight," she informs them all. Not at all. Not with the scales balanced the way they are right now.

"All that matters is the scythe. Once we get that back they can't hurt us." Buffy hadn't really thought about it before but the scythe could hurt Clark too. It was magical in nature and it had hurt his evil double. It just made it more important to get it back. She finds that the group, which also includes Willow, Satsu(because she is one of the best fighters they have and even Buffy will admit that), Grace(ditto) and Andrew, is looking at her funny. Even Clark is looking at her funny. It takes her a few moments to work out why. It was due to what she said about the vampires not being able to hurt them. "Well I mean, except, you know, in the traditional biting and stabbing and clawing sense." Gee she must really be off if even Clark is catching on to her slips. "But we'll deal with that when it comes."

They make their way on to a roof top across the alley from the back entrance to the building. It is guarded inevitably. Buffy addresses them. "Right our only mission is to get into that building and retrieve the scythe and no Clark you aren't superspeeding in to go get it."

"I didn't say anything," Clark protests.

"No but you were thinking it though. Remember they have a witch."

"I remember and really do we have to talk about my powers in front of Dracula," he complains.

Dracula scoffs. "I have little care what abilities you have from whatever demon spawned you."

Clark is about to correct him but you know what if the vampire thinks he is a demon Clark will just let him. Better than him knowing the truth and yeah he hadn't forgotten about the witch either or what she could do to him with her magic. He really hates magic.

Willow places her hand on Clark's shoulder. "The whole building is humming with magical power Clark. I can't guarantee your powers would even work inside," she informs him. She had worked up a basic understanding of them by talking to Chloe and from what Clark had told her back when they first met. Magic could possibly completely disrupt the EM field his body generated rendering him mortal.

Yep. He really, really hates magic.

"Then he will stay out here and help Faith," Buffy decides. "We can handle it." She isn't risking him if his powers aren't going to work. Sure she has been training him up and if this mission wasn't do or die she would let him along as long as she could keep an eye on him but this was do or die and unlike Xander Clark had never really been in a situation remotely like this before and she had a feeling she was going to need all her concentration and not be distracted by watching out for anyone else.

"Buffy," Clark begins to protest.

She points at him. "Ut uh. You follow my orders remember. You promised."

Clark wishes he never said that now but he doesn't break his word. "Yes ma'am."

Buffy turns her attention back to how to get inside. "Now what we need is a really big distraction so we can slip in."

That gives Clark an idea. If he can't go inside he can do this. "How about a flying man dressed in red and blue with a red cape who can shoot fire from his eyes?" he suggests.

"Wait," Andrew says. "Who can do what now?" he asks feeling a minor part of this plan had not be explained to him.

Buffy shares a look with Willow who nods. That could work. Buffy looks at Clark and wonders where he got this idea from. "You're wearing it right now aren't you?"

Clark smiles knowingly and spins into a blur only to reappear in the costume. Hey he just had a hunch it might come in handy at some point. He zips off into the sky.

"Is it wrong I found that an incredible turn on?" Buffy asks no-one in particular.

Clark hovers over the several hundred vampires. "Excuse me! Up here!" They look up at him. "Those who aren't fireproof I strongly suggest you start running." His eyes blaze red as he unleashes his heat vision on the vampires down below. They are far too many for him to get them all without setting the entire neighbourhood on fire which he doesn't want to do in case there are innocent people around but a few dozen to start with should cause enough of a panic to give Buffy the distraction she needs. As expected as soon as he vaporises a few the rest panic and start running so he picks them off in ones and twos to make sure they stay panicked.

"I can't help but feel saddened that I was not let in on the fact that Buffy's fiancé is a genuine superhero," Andrew complains.

Buffy shrugs. "That's what you get for missing staff meetings. Did I just quote a line from Star Trek there?"

"Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock to be precise," Andrew informs her.

The vampires guarding the back door have joined their friends in legging it as Clark glides by the entrance to the alley way making sure to give them a definite glare. Of course he isn't sure he could actually get them because it seems Willow was right. Even floating past the building a few feet away he can feel the magical energy pouring off of it. He really, really, really hates magic.

"Door's open," Buffy comments as they make their way down into the alley, through the door and inside. As they make their way up the stairs Buffy has to say it seems to be all going to plan. They reach the floor where Toru is to find him staring out the window holding the scythe which is resting on his shoulder.

"Yep. That is in fact a flying man in a cape shooting fire from his eyes wreaking havoc on your minions," Buffy announces as they enter the room. She makes her way over towards him. "And to make matters worse he gets really cranky when people threaten his friends. Believe me there is no dishonour in surrender, despite what your culture says to the contrary."

Suddenly Willow feels faint and grabs Xander's arm to steady herself. "You okay?" he asks her with concern.

"Something's wrong..."

Buffy reaches for the scythe only to have her hand pass right through it and Toru. It's an illusion. Oh no! "Guys! It's a ..."

_SSHHRRACK! _The sickening noise indicates that her warning is too late.

Droplets of blood splatter across Xander's face and there stands Toru with the scythe straight through Renee's back,through her heart and out the other side. With a sickening smile on his face he announces "I believe the word you're looking for is 'TRAP'."

* * *

_Author's Note: Thanks to all those who wrote reviews._


	35. Part 3 Chapter 10: Tokyo III

Chapter 10: Tokyo III

Renee is suddenly struck by the strangest sensation. Like she is floating almost. The edges of her vision grey as she sees pools of fog turn into dozens of vampires. She sees some dark haired girl fly into Willow and both of them fly through the window outside. Huh she really should do something about that but can't seem to find the energy to do anything but fall to the ground seemingly in slow motion. She sees Xander rush towards her panic and horror written on his face. Now what is that about?

It takes a few seconds for her fuzzy brain to finally work out what has happened. OH GOD!

No, no, no. She isn't ready. Not yet. "Xander!" she tries to yell but her mouth has stopped working. Oh god. Please god no. Not yet. Not before she gets to tell him. She had never said the words. She hopes he knows. Her vision starts to fade more until she can no longer see the fight in the background. Only Xander but he too is starting to fade. "Xander," she tries to say again but can't. "I love..." The words die even in her mind. Her vision goes black before it is filled by this white light. So pretty she thinks to herself before it consumes her making her feel at peace like she had found home.

"Renee!" Xander screams as he cradles her in his arms. Tears are streaming down his cheek from his one eye. The damage done to the other one meant it could no longer produce tears.

"Man Down!" Buffy yells truly horrified by what has happened but too busy fighting for her life right now to think about it as a vamp turned wolf jumps on her back tearing at her jacket with its teeth and claws. Dammit. She just bought this jacket as well.

Looking on at the chaos standing with serene calm is Dracula. "Slayer!" he shouts at Buffy to get her attention.

Buffy seemingly doesn't hear him as she sticks a stake in another vamp. "Close ranks around Xander now!" she orders.

Dracula tries again. "Slayer listen to me!" he commands as he moves forward and pulls the wolf off Buffy's back and tosses it aside. "Get your witch," he tells Buffy.

"What?!?" she asks back totally lost.

"I can stop them," he assures her. "But I need your witch! Go get her!"

"I'm not leaving!" she protests vigorously. "I can't leave Xander alone," she explains. In his current state huddled over Renee's body he is a sitting duck.

Dracula vamps out. "He is not alone." Dracula then tears into the vampire hoards.

Buffy hesitates for one second more before she turns and heads for the smashed window where Willow was thrown out. "Satsu!" she shouts. "You have command!"

Satsu slicing at the vamps with her sword briefly turns her head to see Buffy leaping over a vampire using its back as leverage. "What!?! Why!?! Where are you going!?!"

"I'll be right back!" Buffy promises. "I just gotta get Willow." Which sounds a hell of a lot easier in her head than in practice as Willow and the dark haired witch are several stories below fighting in the air and Clark is nowhere in sight. Typical. Where is he when she really needs him.

Kumiko slams Willow into the side of a building. She had been looking forward to this for some time. "Hello," she greets Willow. "We have not been properly introduced. My name is Kumiko Ishihara. Daughter of Kazuo."

Willow's response is to cast a spell. "Incurdio," she chants and green energy flies from her hand as she pushes them clear of the building.

Kumiko blocks with a chant of "Decrete" and red shields absorb Willow's attack. Kumiko continues. "I've been following your ascension for quite some time," she remarks.

"Percussus!" Willow chants.

"Consti," Kumiko retaliates blocking the attack. "Save you breath," she tells Willow dismissively like nothing Willow can think of will work. She then tells Willow why. "Or did you think were Saga Vasuki's only student?" Kumiko asks referring to one of the many teachers Willow had spent learning from since she went evil so she could control her powers. "We speak the same language you and I," Kumiko tells Willow.

"Good," Willow says. That has given her an idea. She grabs Kumiko's head. "Talk to me," she commands as she enters Kumiko's mind.

The images flicker past. Death, destruction, cities lying in ruin and something else. Something dark and terrible. "Darling Willow," A voice echoes. Willow's own voice. "I am so disappointed in you. I had such high hopes when you skinned Warren alive and then tried to destroy the world. Now look at you. Trying to redeem yourself. You can't. Nothing you will do can change the crimes you have committed but it matters not whether you return to me. The world will still perish. See how it ends. Behold Doomsday."

A shadow loom over Willow's vision and then she sees it. Dark and terrible. It is massive with grey skin and bony protrusions covering its body. The glowing red eyes. Soulless eyes of a soulless creature. She can feel its emptiness. Death, destruction, more death. All things must perish. Over and over the chant echoes. It has no other purpose. Only this. Only death. Forever death.

Willow snaps back into the real world with terrible force. Her eyes roll back into her head. "Goddess," she whispers in horror and she slips into unconsciousness and begins to fall from the sky.

Buffy can see Will in trouble as her attacker latches her hands round Willow's throat. She closes her eyes and pulls a knife out of her boot. "It's just like a diving board, it's just like a diving board, it's just like a diving board, it's just like a diving board," she chants over and over before she leaps out the window.

Kumiko has a hold of Willow. "Don't pass out on me now Miss Rosenberg," she says with false concern. "You never got to see the best part."

So occupied is she with Willow Kumiko doesn't see Buffy until after Buffy has slammed the knife into her back. With an agonised cry she falls away.

Meanwhile Buffy gets a hold of Willow's arm wondering just what the hell she was thinking jumping out of that window. "Not like a diving board! Not like a diving board at all!" She and Willow continue to plummet downward. "Will! Willow! I need to wake up now!" she yells pleadingly until it strikes her what she should be doing. God is she thick. "Clark!" she shouts and almost instantly she finds herself and Willow in the familiar comforting powerful arms of her fiancé.

"Now if you're going to jump out of windows I'll have to teach you to fly," he comments wryly.

"Don't be a smart ass," Buffy tells him. "And thanks."

"You're welcome," Clark says warmly. He had been on the other side of the building helping out the other slayers as a full blown battle had erupted with the vampires when he heard Buffy shout.

Willow stirs "What happened?" she asks groggily.

"You got your ass kicked again," Buffy tells her in a not very sensitive manner.

Willow's eyes shoot open. "Hey!" she protests. "That is so..." she trails off as she sees them floating above the ground. She looks up to see who is holding her. "Hey Clark."

Clark smiles. "Hey Willow. Now I know you can fly so why did I am doing all the work here?" he jests lightly.

Buffy snorts with mild humour. "That's good. Defuse a tense situation with humour. I do it all the time."

"I noticed," Clark mentions. He had seen it on their trip whenever Buffy goes patrolling she quips constantly when she has to fight something.

"Told you you were having an influence on him," Willow reminds Buffy smugly.

"Alright Ladies! We're taking that building!" Faith shouts out from below. Despite being outnumbered the slayers were kicking ass and were now marching on the building with the giant red lens on top.

"Clark I don't suppose you can melt that thing can you?" Buffy asks.

"No," he says negatively. "I tried. Too much magic and there is some kind of shield around it. I can't even get within a few feet of the building without my powers waning. I hate magic and I hate witches."

"Hey!" Willow protests once more.

"No offence," Clark adds quickly not wanting to offend Willow before he lowers them to the ground next to Faith.

"Hey B!" Faith greets her. "Where's the scythe?"

"Um, still working on that part of the plan," she answers.

"That guy on the roof has it," Clark mentions looking up.

Buffy peers and sees 2 fuzzy blobs on the edge of the roof. "Ok. I'll take your word for it. Come on Will now your conscious take me up there. Clark you stay away from all the magic."

"You know I am not completely helpless," he complains.

"I never said you were but I need you to trust me here," she asks of him.

"Of course I trust you Buffy. One question though."

"Shoot."

"Is that a giant robot that looks like Godzilla that just appeared ahead of us?"

"Yep," Buffy confirms for him and indeed standing there is a 50 foot Godzilla-esque looking robot that suddenly appeared in a flash of light.

"Well there's something you don't see everyday," Faith remarks.

"Another question before I go deal with that," Clark mentions to Buffy.

"Shoot."

"Is that Satsu holding the scythe that just jumped off the roof?"

"Yep," Buffy confirms with him.

"Ok. Just checking."

Faith shakes her head. "I always choose the crazy ones to sleep with."

"That doesn't explain Buffy," Willow mentions to Faith.

"Huh?" Faith queries.

"You haven't slept with her," Willow points out inferring a certain degree of craziness about her best friend.

Buffy makes a face. "Eww! Will!" she protests. "Faith isn't even on my list." Ok so that is a total lie but Buffy doesn't want Faith to know about some feelings she may have or not had at one point in time for the dark slayer.

"List? What list?" Clark asks.

"Oh you know just a list. A not important list of names of people I thought about sleeping with to relieve the itch when you were gone for a year," Buffy explains in a far too innocent tone of voice. Clark looks at her incredulously. "What? I told you slayers have needs that cold showers can't meet so forgive me if I fantasised a little."

"Yeah well maybe I have a list too," Clark hits back childishly. "And maybe Faith's name is on it."

Faith snorts. "Maybe nothing! I am on your list. You told me so more or less."

"What!" Buffy yells.

Clark rubs the back of his head nervously. "I might have just mentioned that I find Faith a teeny, tiny bit attractive," he admits. He does kind of have a thing for brunettes not that he doesn't like blonds...loves blonds...loves Buffy.

"And women with great asses," Faith adds not so helpfully with a slap on her own leather covered behind which causes Buffy to fume more so with a death glare aimed at Clark.

"Well as interesting as this is shouldn't we deal with the robot and save Satsu?" Willow points out.

"Yep. I'll take the robot," Clark volunteers and zips off into the air and rocks the robot back with a mighty punch.

"Guess we'll take Satsu," Buffy concludes along with a mental note to make Clark suffer. Good God Faith! Faith of all people! What the hell is it with Faith that she gets men drooling all over her. Not that she is obsessing or anything but good god Faith! She shakes her head. She can think about this later. There isn't time right now. "Come on Will. Lets go be heroes and save the world," she tells her red headed friend.

Willow takes Buffy by the arms and lifts them up into the air wondering how the hell Satsu ended up falling off the building.

* * *

**A few minutes ago.**

"Well there's something you don't see every day," Toru quips to Raidon from their position on the edge of the roof as their robot creation appears in front of them. That should keep the slayers and that strange flying man at bay. He will have to take up why he wasn't told about him with his master as soon as this is over.

They turn from the edge of the building and walk towards the giant lens that towers over them standing in the centre of the roof. Surrounding them are dozens more of their vampire minions acting as guards.

"Slayers are within radius," Raidon mentions.

"Good," Toru replies.

"Kumiko's not responding," he tells Toru.

"Less good."

"An understatement," Raidon comments. "We need her to do the spell."

Toru removes his coat and hands it to Raidon. "This is why we have secondary protocols Raidon," he points out to his lieutenant. "I'll do the incantation myself." He address the technician at the lens controls. "Power up the lens," he commands.

The red lens crackles to life with magical energy. This is it. The fruition of his master's plan and the beginning of the end of the slayer line. Toru holds the scythe above his head and begins the incantation. "MAKURAYAMI INTER CANEM ET LUPUM..."

Raidon, meanwhile, has moved next to the technician whet he hears an odd sound. "What's that noise?" he asks the technician.

The technician is looking at the readout on his screen. "Standard boot procedure. Lens mechanisms locking into place," he answers thinking that is the noise Raidon is referring to.

"No," Raidon corrects. "Beneath that. It almost sounds like...screaming."

Then, suddenly the access door to the roof bursts open as Dracula, Satsu, Grace and Andrew pour through having fought their way up here. Dracula rushes forward and tackles Toru knocking the scythe from Toru's grasp. "Get the scythe!" Dracula orders.

Satsu rushes forward running over the heads and shoulders of all the vampires. "On it!" She leaps into the air, grabs it and then realises she has just jumped over the edge of the roof. "Oh hell!"

Satsu falls for a long time it seems until Willow catches her with one hand while holding Buffy in the other and no Willow isn't superstrong suddenly. It is just a small bit of magic that makes Buffy and Satsu weightless.

"Thanks," Satsu says gratefully. "But I kinda thought your fiancé would be the one to catch me," she mentions to Buffy.

"He is kinda busy," Buffy tells her while pointing.

Satsu looks to see a red-blue blur buzzing around a giant robot. "Well that's something you don't see every day," she remarks.

"Can I get my scythe back now?" Buffy asks of Satsu.

Satsu hands it over and Buffy feels the familiar surge of power infuse her. Right now it's payback time.

Raidon meanwhile is rushing across the roof to where Satsu jumped over calling into his radio. "Raidon to ground team. I need a retrieval, west side of the building. We've lost the scythe. Repeat: we've lost the scythe..." He stops as there before him are Buffy scythe in hand, Willow and Satsu who through all that managed not lose her sword which is good. It's her favourite sword.

Willow drops Buffy who lands deftly and swings the scythe at Raidon who turns into fog and the scythe passes through him harmlessly. "Oh come on!" Buffy complains. "Fog is totally cheating!"

Meanwhile Willow who is blasting a vampire with an electrical burst has her attention caught by Dracula.

"To me witch!" he commands.

"What does that even mean?" she asks having no clue.

"It means...COME OVER HERE!" Dracula raises his sword. "Take my sword!" he tells her. "It's one of the ancient relics. Bound with demon spirit. Like your scythe. Angle a reverse incantation of Augustine's curse through the portal. It should negate the vampire's abilities," he explains.

By now Willow has floated down to him and takes the sword into her grasp. "Why can't you do the spell?" she asks him.

"Because I am one of the vampires. GO!"

Willow flies up in front of the lens which is still powered up. "AUFERO INCUEBTATUS...KRITIKUS PILLANATBAN JELEN VAN..."

"Stop her!" Toru yells in desperation but it is too late.

Willow finishes the incantation. "LACRIMO AUGUSTINO!" Brilliant white light erupts from the blade of the sword into the lens that then casts it out in all directions encompassing all the vampires stripping them of the abilities they stole from Dracula.

Buffy discovers it when she stakes one through the heart turning it to dust. "Scales are balanced again girls!" she announces. "They're vampires. We're vampire slayers. Time to do what we do best!" Everywhere on the roof and down on the ground below the slayers are now completely on top as they slaughter their way through the ranks of the vampires.

Clark meanwhile is trying to figure out a way to beat the stupid robot. He had found out, painfully he might add, that he couldn't actually punch through the metal skin. It had left his knuckles bloodied attempting to do so. He is betting magic of some sort is the reason. He really, really, really, really hates magic. The force of the blows would knock it back but he didn't seem to be getting anywhere in disabling it. It tries to crush him with its jaws which he catches with ease long before they get a chance to chomp down on him. He is getting tired of this. He holds the robot there for a minute. Ok let him think. He has watched as many cheesy B-movies as the next guy. The control centre is usually in the head. Yes ok. He can rip the head off and see what happens assuming he actually can rip it off. With a strain of his muscles he rips the jaws away from the head. Ok if he can do that then he can totally rip its head off. He lands on the shoulder and digs his fingers into the neck and pulls hard. With a far greater effort than it should have taken the metal around the neck tears and he lifts the head clean off.

"Ha!" he shouts triumphantly. Kal-El of Krypton 1. Stupid giant robot 0.

Now he better catch the body before it falls over and crushes everyone. With a casual throw he tosses the head into space before he flies down to catch the falling body.

Faith had been having a marvellous night. Fighting unkillable vamps and winning she might add and now they were totally killable and she was staking them as quickly as they could flee in terror. Yep. It is so good to be her right now.

"Faith look out!" one of girls yells. Faith looks up and see the robot body about to fall on top of her crushing her body horribly. "Crap," is her only response but centimetres above her head it stops and she sees Clark there holding it. "Cutting it close," she tells him.

"Sorry. Got a little caught up in my moment of victory," he explains.

"Uh huh. Well if you could get rid of that thing there are still hundreds of vamps that could do with being barbecued."

"Complain. Complain. Complain," he complains. He lifts it into the sky, tosses it in the air and catches it by the tail. Clark then spins round faster and faster and then throws it in the same direction he threw the head. He turns to see Faith about to be jumped from behind. With a sigh he zips off back to the ground.

Faith can sense the vamp and she is about to spin round when a red-blue blur zips next to her. The vamp goes poof and Clark is standing there with a stake where the vamp's heart was. "Hey! What happened to the cool glow-y eye thing-y."

"Glow-y eye thing-y?" he repeats.

Faith shrugs. "Hey. I don't remember what you call it ok. Sue me."

"Heat vision Faith. It is called heat vision," he reminds her. "As for your question I have used a lot of energy tonight and there is no sun to recharge me at the moment," he explains the reason as to why he is not using it right now.

"Oh ok," she says in understanding. "By the way nice suit," she says with a little smirk. She forgot to mention it before. It is utterly skin-tight and damn he looks good. She doesn't know how he pulls it off but somehow Clark can make it work. Although it leaves a question. "Where did you keep the stake?" she asks him as she stakes another vamp

"Secret pocket under the cape," Clark answers as he does the same. Something then suddenly catches his attention. "Got to go. Buffy needs help," he says as way of explanation before he flies off.

Faith mutters a few insults at being left, dodges another vamp, stakes it and moves onto the next one.

Meanwhile on the roof Buffy is doing much the same which, unfortunately, means she doesn't see Raidon coming up behind her even with him shouting at his men telling them to stand their ground. "We don't need to be wolves to drink their blood," he adds just as he grabs Buffy by the shoulders and spins her round. "I bet you taste sweet. Slayer," he says just as he is about to bite down on her. Suddenly his face changes into one of shock.

"You have no idea," a voice says from behind Raidon an instant before he turns to dust to reveal Clark standing there holding his stake in the position where he stuck it in Raidon's heart. "I can't believe I just said that out-loud," he comments which causes Buffy to smile.

"You implying I don't taste sweet?" she asks him with false hurt.

Clark moves forward and gives her a quick kiss. "Oh no you do. Like cookies."

Buffy arches an eyebrow. "Cookies?!"

Clark shrugs. "I like cookies," he explains looking like a 5 year old suddenly.

God he looks adorable Buffy thinks to herself. If only their lives weren't in mortal danger right now. Otherwise she would be totally jumping him. Then another thought occurs to her. "Hey how are you here? What about all the magic?" she asks him.

"One you were in trouble and therefore to hell with the magic."

"I could have handled him," she argues with certainty.

"Uh huh. Sure you could. Duck!" Buffy ducks and Clark's fries a vampire sneaking up on them with his heat vision.

Buffy stands back up straight. "And second?"

"Second I think whatever Willow did consumed all the magical energy because I can't feel it anymore."

"Oh well that's handy. Move!"

Clark slides to the side as Buffy grabs his arms and uses him as a support as she swings herself round to kick another vamp in the head disorientating it for a second which is all she needs to stake it.

"And third," Clark continues. "I destroyed the giant robot and had some free time."

Buffy looks and sees that indeed the robot is gone. "Where is it?" she asks.

"I threw it into space," he says lightly like it was nothing.

"Ok cool. So with your free time what were you planning on doing?"

Clark looks and notices that the two of them have ended up surrounded by vampires. "Barbecue?" he suggests.

Buffy gestures for him to go right ahead. "Be my guest."

Clark's eyes light up and that is the last any of the vampires see.

"Witch!" Dracula shouts out to Willow from another part of the roof. "I'll take my sword back now."

Willow still hovering near the lens throws it to him only for Toru to intercept it. "Just like an old man. He needs his cane to stand," he says as an insult to Dracula. The powers may be gone but that doesn't mean he has lost yet. He moves to kill Dracula continuing his insulting rant. "He doesn't know what to do with himself now that he's an ordinary vampire again. Like the rest of us."

"My boy," Dracula begins to say as Toru attacks. Dracula dodges it, wrenches the sword back while elbowing Toru in the head using Toru's own momentum to knock him off balance. "I was never an ordinary vampire." With a quick swing he slices off Toru's left hand. "Or did you forget who I use to be?" With another swing Dracula slices off both of Toru's legs below the knee at the same time. "I am Vlad Dracul remembered by history as Vlad the Impaler. The fields of Europe use to stream with the blood of my enemies." He slices off Toru right hand leaving the Japanese vampire with no legs or hands. "I would slice off their hands and feet and then impale them on spikes to die and that was before I started eating people for fun. Trust me the vampire's the least of your concerns." Dracula stands over Toru helpless form. "It's the old man you need to worry about."

Toru props himself up on what remains of his arms. "Then do it. Finish me," he tells Dracula who turns away. "You can't leave me like this," Toru argues. "You owe me that honour."

"It's not my place to kill you," Dracula tells Toru as his gaze turns to the person walking towards them as the battle continues around them. "And you know nothing about honour."

Xander reaches Dracula who hold out his sword. Xander takes it.

In his last moment of life Toru laughs. "You may kill me but I serve one greater than any of you and they will see that the slayer line is erased for eternity."

Ignoring Toru's ramblings Xander takes one swing and cuts Toru's head off turning the vampire to dust.

"Faith to B. You hearing me?" she asks over the radio link.

Buffy who is still battling alongside Clark answers "Yes I hear you."

"The vamps are bugging out. They're making a run for it."

"So chase them," she responds. "No prisoners. Seal off the streets. Cut them down as they flee. Kill every single one of them," she orders with cold ruthlessness. The vamps numbers are thinning out so she starts to move over to where Xander and Dracula are with Clark following on behind.

Satsu takes over seeing Buffy will need a minute. "Did you hear that Faith?" she requests wanting a confirmation.

"Yeah I heard," Faith says in confirmation. Satsu can then hear Faith give the command. "You heard B girls. Not one leaves. Not one! Nobody gets out of here alive!"

* * *

_Author's Note: Thanks to all those who wrote reviews._


	36. Part 3 Chapter 11: Tokyo IV

Chapter 11: Tokyo IV

Buffy moves swiftly over to Xander who falls to his knees, wraps his arms around Buffy's waist and starts to sob for Renee while she gently cradles his head and lets him pour out his grief. Willow lands down next to the two of them and Dracula and Clark. She watches for a few moments before turning to Dracula. "Is what Toru said true? Did you sacrifice your powers to help us?"

"I was in range when you cast the spell was I not?" he asks acerbically.

"But why?" Willow asks. "Why do that for us?"

"It was not for you," Dracula informs her. "I was the Earthly guardian of those powers. They cost me my soul. Dire consequences would have followed had I allowed these Orientals to continue to possess them that even I could not have allowed to occur," he explains.

Satisfied Willow turns back to her best friend lost in grief. Xander lets the tears fall over another lost love. Over the regret that he never told her that he loved her. Over the agonising pain he has to go through again. Pain over the fact he will never again hear Renee's voice speak to him.

"Tears for me. Wow I'm touched. Really."

Xander screws his eyes shut. "Leave me alone."

A figure that looks like Renee kneels down next to Xander. "Oh come on. Is that anyway to talk to your girlfriend?"

"Don't you have better things to do?" Buffy demands to know.

Renee smirks, stands to her feet and morphs into an image of Buffy. "Oh come on aren't you happy to see your old friend the First Evil."

Buffy doesn't dignify it with an answer only a glare. The First/Buffy wanders around to Dracula. "By the way I am so disappointed in you."

Dracula glares at it. "I know what you are and therefore you should know your mind games will not work on me."

The First/Buffy shrugs and walks on taking in the surroundings as the last few vamps on the roof are taken care of. "Help is so hard to find these days."

"You," Clark suddenly says at those words as it makes him realise something. "You did this."

The First morphs again. "Now, now son. Don't make accusations you can't prove."

"You are not my father," Clark tells the image of Jonathan Kent.

"Oh but I am. Didn't you learn anything from the last time we met. I am everyone and everywhere. I am all the dark impulses that plague men's souls and for all it matters I am Jonathan Kent."

Buffy reluctantly pulls herself away from Xander handing him over to Willow who takes over for her in comforting their grief stricken friend. She moves next to Clark and takes his hand. "Stop the games!" she orders.

The First morphs once more into its fallen servant Caleb. "Now don't preach me to little girl. I am not one of your toy soldiers."

"Did you do this?" Buffy grinds out.

"Well as much as I would like to take the credit I was only a messenger this time. It was someone else's idea. One of my most beloved servants came up with this plan or they will one day."

"Stop the damn riddles!" Buffy yells totally tired of this.

The First changes shape once more. "Now young lady we don't talk to our mother in that tone," the image of Joyce Summers reprimands her daughter.

"You're not my mother," Buffy tells it.

"Well aren't you two a pair. To answer your point Buffy, sweetie, I can't explain it to you in any terms your pifflingly simply mind can understand. I transcend space, time and dimension but I can tell you a couple of things. The first being that heaven will want its stolen soul back and it will get it soon."

"What does that mean?" Buffy asks.

The First/Joyce answers "From beneath you...it freezes your ass off." It then bursts into laughter at a joke only it gets.

Buffy is having hard time keeping her temper under control. "And second?"

"Second..." The First morphs into Clark's alter ego Kal. "Second is that you and I, Clark, aren't done. Not by a long shot." From the expression of puzzlement on Clark's face the First/Kal elaborates. "Oh what. Did you think our previous meeting would be the end of it Kal-El? Did you think I would just fade into the aether and you would never see me again? Did you think these sluts could protect you from me forever?"

Understanding dawns on Buffy. "This was about getting rid of us so you could get to Clark."

"Give the lady a prize," the First/Kal says insincerely. "Of course it was. With you gone his end will come all the sooner. Or his conversion to my side."

"I will never join you," Clark tells it forcefully.

"Never is a very long time Kal-El and is so easy to say when you are so young. Let see if you still think that in a few millennia. Not that you will live that long of course. Your end will come so much sooner than that unless you join me."

"He already said never," Buffy reiterates strongly.

The First/Kal laughs. "Lets see if he will still be saying that when it is his only choice to save what he loves the most."

"What is that suppose to mean?" Clark asks with real concern.

Before the First can say anything Buffy speaks. "Ignore it Clark. You know what it is like. It just likes to wind people up."

"That and screw them," it says in an atypical Kal way. "By the way Clark do you want to know what hell your dear beloved fiancé sent Lana to?"

"Shut up!" Clark says close to losing his temper.

The First smirks and changes into Lana. "But Clark don't you want to know what I'm suffering because of that bitch," it says in Lana's sweetest voice referring to Buffy.

Clark closes his eyes. "You're not Lana and I am not listening to anymore of your lies."

"Oh Kal-El where did I go wrong?"

Clark's eyes shoot open to reveal a tall blond woman standing in a white dress. "Mother," he whispers in great pain. He and Jor-El had talked about his mother during the year he was at the Fortress and it stirred up that longing he had to have at least met her once in some fashion.

The First/Lara reaches out with her hands to Clark. "My beautiful blue-eyed baby boy. Look at you. All grown up."

Buffy yanks on Clark's arm at the first hint of him moving forward. "Clark. It isn't her."

Clark swallows hard and tries to regain some control of himself.

"That's enough!" Buffy tells the First. "Go haunt some castle some place."

The First shifts back into Buffy and walks up to her until they are eye to eye. "Still trying to be the little General when we both know what a failure you are at that but I will go. I do have other places to be but remember this. Everything in life has a balance and what was wrenched away from its proper place will have to return one day." It shifts into Spike smoking a cigarette. "See you soon luv." The First then vanishes from sight leaving a whole bunch of very confused and very worried people standing there.

* * *

Later back at the Slayer base they take stock of their losses, arrange to get the bodies of the girls who died shipped back to their families and for those that don't have any family arrange a proper service here. They had lost...well one is too many but they had lost way more than that. A few dozen roughly. Buffy heads back to the room she was given and shoves her ruined jacket off her tired and sore body. It will be awhile before they have the service, probably not until tomorrow, and she needs a shower. Stripped of her clothes she stands under it and lets the water cascade over her causing her cuts to sting. She ignores the sensation. They'll heal. They always do. The battle is over but she has a feeling that the war has barely begun because why else would the First show up. It wouldn't just show up to lament a defeat. It doesn't make sense. They'll have to have a brain storming session once they get back to Scotland where they can compare notes and figure things out and why is she thinking like she is still in charge? She gave that over to Faith but if the First is still interested in Clark then...

Buffy places her head in her hands. This is exactly what she wanted to give up and now it was dragging her back in and worse she can't see how she can refuse its calling.

"Buffy!" Clark's voice calls out.

She gathers herself together. "I'm in the shower!" she shouts back.

The curtain slides back to reveal Clark changed back into his jeans and t-shirt combo with the glasses. "You know you don't have to wear those around me," she points out referring to his glasses.

Clark takes them off and looks at them. "Sorry. I'm starting to get into a habit." He folds them up. "So how are you?"

"In the shower," she answers while giving him a look wondering why the hell he is asking her that right now.

"For over an hour," Clark points out to her.

Buffy is surprised at that. "Really?"

Clark nods in confirmation and Buffy looks down at her fingers to see how wrinkled they have become. "Time flies I guess."

Clark eyes the cuts on her back. "Do those still hurt?" he asks with concern.

Buffy shakes her head. "Not really. I've lived through worse. I've come back from the dead after all." She turns the water off and steps out of the shower where Clark wraps her in a big, fluffy warm towel and proceeds to help dry her off. Suddenly and without warning he has wrapped her in his big strong arms. "Ok Clark what are you doing?"

"Holding you," he answers.

"Why? Not that this isn't nice and all but I would like to get some clothes on at some point."

"I'm not losing you," he answers cryptically.

"Of course not," she says with some confusion. "Wait. Is this to do with what the First said?"

"Yes," he answers. It hadn't taken much to figure what it meant when it said heaven would want its stolen soul back. Clark knows how Buffy was ripped out of heaven so it leaves only one conclusion in his mind that it meant that he was going to lose her. That she was going to die which was a thought that terrified him along with that even he may not have the power to prevent it. It had always terrified him that he may not be able to save the ones he loves the most. It always had, even more so since he lost his dad.

"Clark it is was just winding us up. Playing with our minds. It's what it does. You should know that," she chastises him for letting it get under his skin.

"I do know that but it also mixes in some truth to what it says and I can't ignore that."

Buffy takes a large breath and pulls back. "Ok look at me." Clark does so and Buffy places her hands on his cheeks. "We both know that one day you will lose me Clark. Despite my slayer powers I am just a human being in the growing old sense and you...how long will you live anyway?"

"Impossible to say," he answers. "My powers come from the yellow sun. For as long as it is there to recharge me I may never age."

Ok Buffy knows enough science to know that the sun is going to be there for a hell of a long time and for all that it matters that makes Clark practically immortal. "Ok. Bottom line is that you are going to outlive me Clark even if I live long enough to reach a grand old age."

"I know," he says softly in sad acceptance. "I have known since I was 14 that I would outlive everyone I knew."

"14?" she asks with some confusion.

"There was this woman in a care home where I volunteered and she could see the future when she touched an object or person. When she touched me I shared the vision. Do you know what I saw?"

Buffy shakes her head. Obviously she doesn't know since he never told her.

"An endless graveyard that held everyone I had ever known with me standing in the centre all alone on an empty Earth. Empty because I had outlived the entire human race."

"Oh Clark," Buffy says great sympathy at his darkened, pain-filled expression.

"However I decided that doesn't mean I shouldn't spend as much time as I can with the people around me."

"That's the right attitude," she tells him in agreement with his view.

"However it also doesn't mean I will just lie down and accept that you will taken away from me before you reach that grand old age either."

"Clark. What the First said could apply to you to," she points out since he too had been to the afterlife and come back.

"Maybe but I don't think so Buffy. I was not meant to be human. That was a punishment. I am what I was born as. I am Kal-El of Krypton."

Buffy takes another deep breath. "Ok look. Bottom line here is you and I can't see the future so all we can do is deal with situations as they arise. Prophecies, predictions...trust me can be interpreted wrongly and are sometimes just plain wrong. Don't let the First mess with your head. We will live our lives the way we want and I really should listen to my own advice sometimes."

"Huh?" Clark asks completely lost at that last bit.

"Before you came in I was contemplating that I might have to take over as leader again but I don't want that. Not really and Faith can do it. I believe that so I don't know why I was even thinking it." She shakes her head annoyed at herself. "God I let it get in my head just like you did."

"It did not get in my head," he insists.

"Yes it did Clark. It has you all worked up over what could be complete lies which may have been what it wanted in the first place."

Clark presses his lips to her passionately. "I love you and I don't want to lose you."

Buffy strokes his cheek in loving reassurance. "I love you too and you aren't going to lose me for a long, long time. Ok?"

Clark nods. "Ok."

"Good and hey at least we avoided the awkward talk about everything I did."

Clark smiles smugly. "Oh don't you think you are off the hook on that one ma'am. That was next on my list of things I wanted to talk to you about."

"Damn!" Buffy says with false annoyance which causes Clark to chuckle. "Did I do stuff I really need to talk about?" she asks in all seriousness.

"It was not what you did," he tells her. "You didn't cross any line. It is back to that bottling up your feelings bit that you're so good at."

"Ah," she says in understanding. "I was a tiny bit ruthless back there wasn't I?"

"Maybe a bit but they were vampires who tried to kill all the slayers," he says in understanding. He still loathes killing but as Buffy had taught him vampires aren't alive and will kill good people without any remorse. In that situation even he can see that destroying them is the only option.

"And I walked us right into a trap," she laments sadly as her own failure. "God Renee. Xander is a complete wreck and it is all my fault."

"No it wasn't."

Clark and Buffy turn to see where that came from and see Satsu at the door. Buffy double checks that her towel is in place and covering everything before responding. "What?"

"It wasn't your fault," Satsu explains. "We all agreed to the plan. It wasn't like you ordered us to do it against our wishes and to be the bringer of the painfully obvious in war people die. What matters is that we won. We slayed the vamps. We got the scythe back and when you get back home you'll have to get Will to upgrade the security so this never happens again."

"What do you mean 'you'?" Buffy asks like Satsu means she isn't coming.

"I'm not coming. That's why I'm here. To tell you that I'm staying."

"Staying? You don't have to do that. I mean I know having me back was awkward for you but I won't be staying either. Clark and I will be going back to our travels once everything is settled back down."

Satsu knows Buffy thinks it is to do with her crush on the blonde slayer but it isn't. Nor is it anything to do with Satsu herself at all. "Well while I appreciate this may crush your ego," she jokes. "It isn't that. I want to stay and take over from Aiko."

"You sure?" Buffy asks her.

Satsu nods. "Yeah. These girls need a leader and I can do that. I can be that for them." It was clear that Aiko's death had devastated them and worse there was no natural successor to take over and help them recover. Satsu could see that and she just thinks she has what it takes to help them.

"Well if you're sure then I won't stop you," Buffy tells Satsu.

"Thank you," Satsu says sincerely. "I'll, um, let you get back to whatever you two were up to."

Buffy frowns at what Satsu is implying. "Shower Satsu! I was having a shower."

"Right. Sure you were," Satsu says insincerely not believing Buffy for a second.

"I was!" Buffy insists.

Satsu starts to walk off. "I believe you. Shower. Got it. Just the two of you."

"Alone!" Buffy shouts after her. There was already enough gossip about her sex life. She didn't need more.

"Should I be insulted that you didn't want me with you in the shower?" Clark asks after Satsu has taken her leave.

Buffy turns her head to glare at him and can see the humour alight in his eyes. "Oh. Ha. Ha. Very funny," she says humourlessly.

"I try," he quips.

Buffy heads out into the adjoining room to find some appropriate clothes to wear with Clark following on behind. "So is there anything else we need to talk about?" she asks him.

"I think we covered everything there was." Well Satsu covered some of it. The bit about where Buffy would blame herself for what happened.

"Really?" she asks wanting to be sure.

"Yeah. I mean what else is there apart from that you were a little mean ordering me about."

"It was for your own good. Magic remember."

"Not likely to forget," he says followed by a yawn.

"You're tired?" Buffy asks a little surprised.

"Heat vision uses a lot of energy and the sun isn't up yet," Clark explains.

"Ah. At least you weren't hurt."

"Well not too bad. I bloodied my knuckles on that robot. I think magic was used in making the metal skin."

Buffy walks over to him. "Let me see," she requests. Clark raises his hands and Buffy takes them into her own and looks them over. There was damage to the skin on the knuckles but it wasn't too bad. Nothing that she knew wouldn't heal on him. "I take it the sun will heal that," she assumes.

"Should do."

"Well if there is nothing you want to say to me I have something to say to you," she tells him.

"Such as?"

Buffy's hand moves fast and strikes Clark across the face. "You're an obnoxious jerk!"

Clark raises his hand to his cheek more in shock than pain. "What was that for?!" he asks completely baffled.

"Faith! You find Faith attractive!? No worse you told her you did!"

Uh oh. "Look she asked. What was I suppose to say?"

"Lie!" Buffy says like she is stating the bleeding obvious.

Clark can see Buffy shaking her hand in pain after striking him. He tentatively moves forward and takes it into his hands and rubs it gently. She doesn't stop him which he takes as a hopeful sign she isn't as mad as she seems. "Look I'm sorry," he apologises. "I didn't know it would upset you. I was just childishly overreacting to your 'list' when I said she was on my list. There is no list. Just you."

"You promise?"

"I promise," he assures her.

Buffy looks into his face which has adopted the never fail to abate her anger puppy dog look. "Oh don't use that look. I can't stay mad at you if you use that look," she pleads with him.

Clark smiles and continues the look. "Faith is a friend Buffy. That's all. She reminds me too much of Lois to be anything else," he tries to explain to placate her. He does consider Lois a friend after all. Well more like an annoying little sister actually but he tolerates her for Chloe's sake.

Buffy lets out a breath as her anger fades because Clark never lies to her. "Ok I believe you and I don't have a list either. I just said the first thing that came into my head. There was no-one but you on my mind during that year."

Clark accepts her explanation. "So does that mean you aren't mad at me?" he asks.

"I guess so."

"That wasn't the ringing endorsement I was looking for."

"It is all you are getting and next time a woman asks if they are attractive lie through your teeth."

"Got it. The next supermodel we run into I'll tell her she's ugly. No problem."

A laugh escapes Buffy's lips at the false seriousness Clark used when he said that. "I'm completely overreacting aren't I?"

"If I say yes will you become mad at me again?"

Buffy shakes her head. She is overreacting and she knows exactly why. "I'm sorry Clark. Faith and I have some boyfriend stealing issues which were complicated by the fact she had stolen my body at the time."

"Huh?"

"Long story back when Faith was on her evil fix. She used a magical device to switch our bodies so she could steal my life and while she was in here she and my boyfriend...I don't need to draw you a picture or anything do I?"

"Um no I think I've got it and I understand that sort of."

"What do you mean sort of?"

"I mean I once got switched with Lionel Luthor and while he was prancing around in my body he hurt a lot of people I care about. Emotionally I mean. Said some stuff to my friends so no-one would think twice or look for me when he did a disappearing act."

"Wow you never told me that story before," Buffy remarks.

"You never mentioned yours and Faith's switcheroo," he points out.

Buffy shrugs. "I've tried to block it out. Faith is a different person now and there is no longer a reason to dwell on it."

"Except when it comes to taking your anger out on me."

Buffy sighs. "You're right."

Clark pulls Buffy into his embrace. "Look I was a tad insensitive to your feelings back there. I get that but in my defence my alter ego Kal is inside here somewhere and he leaks out from time to time but even if I find Faith attractive I only love you. She could walk in here naked and I promise I would turn her down flat."

"Really?" she asks a little bit surprised.

"Absolutely," he assures her.

"Because I wouldn't."

Clark looks down and can see humour lighting up her green eyes which shows she is joking which hopefully means that all is forgiven. "Well she did mention something about a threesome," he says in jest.

"In her dreams," Buffy remarks with certainty. She stands on her toes and brings her lips millimetres from Clark's. "Because I'm only into monogamous relationships."

"Me too," Clark says back, his voice dropped to a husky register. He brushes a lock of her damp hair back behind her ear. "I love you and only you," he tells her softly.

"I love you too," she says before she presses her lips to his. Clark kisses her back, wraps an arm around her waist and lifts her with effortless ease. Buffy wraps her legs around his waist as he carries her into the bedroom where she intends to make him forget that Faith even exists.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thanks to all those who have written reviews. The next chapter will wrap up this arc and start the new one which will explore the First's words about Buffy's fate. Two words people; Time Travel._


	37. Part 3 Chapter 12: Tokyo V

Chapter 12: Tokyo V

It is a day later that they finally have the service for the fallen just as the sun is setting. Clark stayed by Buffy's side throughout giving her his strength. For those girls who died and have no home or parents to be sent back to, either because they're orphans or because their parents rejected them as freaks after they became slayers, this will be their final resting place. Buffy watches the smoke from the cremation fires rise into the darkened sky as they burn the bodies. Each and every one of them will have a grave marker so that their sacrifice is never forgotten. Buffy will certainly never forget them as she has made sure to learn every name of the fallen.

Afterwards Buffy watches Xander take Renee's ashes and head outside the compound wall. He had wanted to scatter her ashes by himself he had told Buffy and she respects his wishes and understands them too. There is a moment where you have to be alone like Buffy is at the moment. Clark went off to get some food and last Buffy saw of Faith she was sneaking off with Satsu. It didn't take a genius to work out what they were about to get up to.

All in all it was a nice enough service Buffy will admit even if a lot of it was in Japanese. In many ways she can't wait to leave here and get back to Scotland. These were not the circumstances under which she had ever wanted to come to Tokyo. She and Clark may come back some day but it will not be for some time. She couldn't appreciate the country for what it is without the events of the last few days tainting her view. Until she can appreciate Japan for what it is without that taint she won't be back unless there is some other emergency that needs her. Right now she wants to go back to Scotland. She will stay there just long enough for things to settle down. For her and Clark to regather themselves and then she and Clark will resume their world trip.

"Hey Buff," Willow says as she comes to stand next to her friend who had seemed lost in thought.

"Hey Will," Buffy says back. "Will he be ok?"

"Xander?"

"Hmm, hmm." She is only asking because he is not really talking to anyone about how he is feeling, not even her, which she totally understands by the way. She can see how much pain her friend is in and that he isn't ready to share but equally she wants to know that he will be ok.

"In time," Willow answers. "How are you doing?"

Buffy shrugs unsure what to say exactly. "Slayer healing. You know how it is."

"Buffy I meant emotionally," Willow reprimands her friend knowing full well Buffy knew what she meant.

"I'm fine really. No worse than usual." And it's true. She feels no worse than she usually does after a battle where she has lost people so in other words she feels like crap but it will pass. It always does but she will carry their deaths inside her for the rest of her life.

"You sure because you have this tendency to dump unnecessary blame on yourself," Willow points out with mild concern.

"I know," she admits. "But Satsu already gave me the 'it wasn't your fault' speech and I guess she was right. I don't think I could have done it any other way." Buffy has spent some time thinking over Satsu's words and given what they knew at the time they concocted what they all thought was the best plan.

"You couldn't," Willow assures her in agreement. "The plan was good Buff so yeah Toru got the drop on us but all that matters in the end is who was left standing and it wasn't him."

"True but..."

"But?"

"This was all to get at Clark. I mean that is my fault. I made it so we protect him."

"And we would all be so much better off if the First succeeds in turning Clark to the Dark Side because we weren't around to protect him. After all a near invulnerable alien with virtually limitless power is no threat at all," Willow says with deliberate and unrestrained sarcasm so she gets her point across.

"Ok. You have a point," Buffy concedes.

"Of course I do," Willow says stating the obvious. Better to have Clark on their side than to let him be turned evil. She would say they have a much better chance of actually winning this war against all things evil one day if Clark is on their side. "So how are you and Clark doing?" she asks changing the subject.

"We're fine. I didn't cross whatever line he has in his head that is uncrossable so I think we can avoid any shouting matches for the near future." Not to mention she totally made him forget all about Faith. Heck by the time she was finished with him he could barely remember his own name let alone Faith's.

"How over the top did he go about what the First said?" Willow asks knowing from what Buffy and Chloe have told her that Clark likes to take on responsibility for everything onto his own shoulders and how he fears for his friends above his own life. Just like Buffy. What a pair they are.

"There was big warm fluffy towels and hugging," she answers. Willow looks at Buffy with an expression that says she wants more than that. "There isn't much more to add Will. He let the First get in his head. Whatever it was on about...I won't allow it to change the way I..we are living our lives."

"I think it was on about something bad," Willow mentions.

"How do you figure?"

"When I touched Kumiko's mind I saw," Willow hesitates for a moment as she dredges the images up before she continues, "death, destruction, the end of the world."

"Will. What did you see?" Buffy asks needing to know.

Willow shakes her head. "I don't know." She closes her eyes and tries to remember it more clearly without success. "It is all jumbled up. Images and sounds flashed by in an instant. I do know one thing. Something or someone else was there behind Kumiko guiding her actions."

"The First?"

"Maybe but I just feel that it wasn't."

"It did mention something about a servant of its coming up with the whole plan to take the girls' powers," Buffy remembers.

"Could be...I need more time to meditate and sort the images out," she informs Buffy.

"Why am I only hearing about this now?" Buffy inquires of her friend.

"I wanted to sort the images out first," Willow explains. "Also I didn't want to burden you more than I already knew you were."

Buffy places a supportive hand on Willow's shoulder. "Hey it's alright. I understand. Take all the time you need but just one thing. Did you see a possible future or a definite future?"

"There is no such thing as a definite future Buffy. There is a probable future. The one most likely to happen but the future is always in flux. It is determined by our actions," Willow explains while trying to keep it simple.

"So what you saw may not happen?" Buffy queries wanting clarification.

"No it may not if I can figure out the jumble in my head and see what is going to happen and what we need to do to stop it."

"Ok. Like I said Will no rush. Take as much time as you need," Buffy says and genuinely means. She knows that rushing or harassing Will won't help any.

"Where's Clark?" Willow asks moving the subject on as until she meditates there is nothing more to say on the whole end of the world problem. Clark had vanished shortly after the service had ended.

"He said something about a craving for Thai food."

"So he went to a Thai restaurant?"

"No he went to Thailand." Willow gives Buffy a 'you can't be serious' look. "What?" she asks at Willow's expression. "It only takes him like 5 minutes to get there."

"Has he ever been to Thailand before?"

"Don't think so but he said he wanted to try the genuine article. It isn't like he can be hurt Will so I am not worried about him."

"Don't you find this a little bit odd?"

"That my fiancé can fly to Thailand when he has a craving?"

"Sure. Lets go with that."

"You teleported us genuine Chinese from China from time to time," she reminds Willow.

"Well ok. You have me there. Do you smell that?"

Buffy sniffs the air. It smells like Thai. She turns round to find Clark there with carrier bags in hand. "I bought for two," he says a little sheepishly.

"You bought for 20," Willow corrects him at the sheer weight of the bags he is carrying.

"I bought for me and Buffy," he points out.

"Ah. In that case I don't think you got enough," Willow jests which earns her a jab in the ribs from Buffy.

Buffy then grabs a carton box from a bag and starts digging in. "God that is gorgeous," she comments savouring the taste.

Clark takes a bite of his. "Yeah. It's much better than the stuff you get back home," he says in agreement with Buffy. He gives her a glance as she eats and the corner of his lips curl upward as he remembers last night. Buffy is so cute when she is jealous not to mention utterly incredible in bed. He knows that sounds shallow but deep down, despite his alien origins, he really is just a guy. Also when they are together in bed he feels better. The fears the First's words stirred in him aren't as strong when she is in his arms where he feels he can protect her from whatever is coming. Of course while they aren't as strong that doesn't mean they aren't there and that he fears that for once that even he with all his power may not be able to protect her this time.

Clark gives himself a little mental shake. He is doing what Buffy said he was. Letting the First get to him. He moves the subject onto something else. "By the way how's Xander?" he asks with concern. "I saw him sitting outside the wall when I was landing." He knows all about the pain and grief of losing someone you love or in Lana's case he thought he loved and how hard it is to cope.

"He needs time," Buffy says echoing Willow's answer from earlier.

* * *

Xander sits on a bench outside the wall with Renee's ashes in a vase sitting next to him. Stubble now adorns his chin as he had been too lost in grief to bother to shave. Oh god. First Anya and now Renee. He just can't get a break can he when it comes to women. He just wishes he had told Renee once how much he loved her. He hopes, deep down, that she knew. Knew also how much she had helped him after Anya. How much happiness her warmth and humour brought him. Knew that he could see a future with them in it together. He'll say these things when he scatters her ashes and hope that somehow she will hear them wherever she is now.

"My ship is ready to depart and I will be leaving shortly," Dracula announces as he walks up behind Xander dressed formally in his top hat and suit with waistcoat with a cane in one hand. "Would you like assistance with your little ceremony before I take my leave?" he asks Xander because as much as it may surprise people he does feel a certain affection towards the boy and he too knows the feelings of loss associated with losing someone you love. For some reason even with his soul gone the memory of what he felt has never left him.

"No, thank you," Xander replies flat-toned. "I'd like to do this myself."

"Very well," Dracula says accepting Xander's decision. "Goodbye Manservant."

"Hey Dracula. If you call me 'Manservant' again I'll kill you in your sleep," Xander tells the enigmatic vampire. Any hold that Dracula had on him broken utterly in the wake of his grief over Renee and he is no longer willing to tolerate being called that.

"Hm," Dracula says as he contemplates Xander's words. "Perhaps you're right. Something like 'Lackey' or 'Minion' then." He starts to walk off.

"Absolutely not," Xander tells him.

"Houseboy?" he queries as his voice fades into the distance.

"Still getting killed," Xander says back knowing that Dracula can still hear him and when he is in less pain Xander is sure he will appreciate the attempt at humour on Dracula's part to cheer him up more than he can right now.

* * *

Later that night, back in the compound, Willow sits cross legged in her room and meditates trying to decipher the images she saw. The images blur by in an instant but they seem different. She manages to catch a few of them. Frost and ice covering the world. A figure of white and blue. Female. Powerful. Evil. Willow tries to concentrate harder. The images...at times she can feel she can almost reach them but as soon as she tries to grab hold of them they fade away back out of her reach.

Words come to her speaking to her in her own voice; disjointed, garbled but she can make out a few sentences.

'_We have a cold journey ahead of us...'_

In Buffy's room she and Clark express their love for each other and calm the fears each has deep down at the First's words by making love slowly, tenderly but still passionately. It is only a temporary fix to ease their fears but at this moment they'll take it. In another room Faith and Satsu say their goodbyes to each other in the same way because sometimes one must take whatever comfort they can in the face of loss and in the face of approaching darkness and loneliness that they can almost subconsciously feel is drawing near.

_'Find what warmth you can for now...'_

Xander, all alone, spreads Renee's ashes into the wind as he says his farewells. Destiny, it seems, means for him to continue to be the one that sees things no else does all by himself. Meanwhile across the world in Honduras another lone figure walks the steps to the ancient temple of an ancient Goddess who he has been waiting and watching for to return like his father did before him and his father's father and so forth back through every generation of his family for countless centuries unaware that the one he worships has at last awoken from her ancient slumber.

_'And I'll stand watch alone...'_

Willow opens her eyes and lets out a breath after what has turned into a long meditation. It makes no sense. She still can't sort out the jumble of images in her mind. The words she heard are meaningless dribble sounding like the ravings of a crazy person. A couple of questions do arise though. Why is she seeing something different now than what she saw in Kumiko's head? Has the future changed already or is someone playing her? Before she can answer either question her witch senses go crazy. Something is very wrong and since her senses are more in tune to her friends than anyone else she knows instantly what it is. "Oh Goddess. Buffy!"

In her room Buffy cuddles into Clark's warmth as she starts to drift off to sleep. Hmm large Thai meal followed by a large Kryptonian dessert make Buffy very sleepy but on the plus side she made damn sure to purge any lingering thoughts Clark had about Faith from his head while trying to forget her own fears about the First's words. She had tried not to think about its warnings and consequently her own death because that only dredges up her memories of her last death and what heaven was like and if she thinks too hard on that then that makes her life impossible as nothing can really compare to the feelings of peace and contentment being in heaven generates.

The First was playing them she tries to tell herself. Trying to screw with their minds. It had to be because no way in hell is she letting anything tear her away from Clark. Being with him is the closest she has felt to the peace of death since her resurrection and deep down she likes to dream that perhaps Clark can be the one with whom she can still have that wish of being happily married and having a semi-normal life. It will never be completely normal. She knows that but with him she can almost envision that dream of living in a house with the white picket fence and maybe even, one day, children. It is not so much to ask for is it?

She cuddles into Clark tighter, pushes her fears to a far corner of her mind for the moment and tries to sleep. She is tired and she can think about this tomorrow when her mind is fresher. She is just about asleep when her slayer senses go off. "Clark! Move!" she yells while giving him a shove to roll him over while she rolls in the other direction just as an axe comes down between them where they had been a moment before and slices the bed in half. She flips to her feet not really caring that she is butt naked at the moment to be confronted by the wielder of the axe; a large guy wearing a metal mask that covers his entire head. Buffy is about to kick his ass when she suddenly feels like every cell in her body is being pulled apart. She can feel herself being pulled to somewhere else. "Clark!" she yells which fades to an echo as she vanishes.

"Buffy!" Clark yells at the sight of her fading away like a ghost before she vanishes completely. Oh god no! The First was telling the truth just like he feared despite his best efforts not to let its words get to him. She is being taken away from him and he is powerless to do anything about it. Unfortunately all this leaves him distracted and not paying attention to the guy with the axe. At least not until the guy slams the axe into his left side and to Clark's great surprise it slices right through his skin embedding itself into the muscles and tissue beneath. The guy then boots Clark in the chest and Clark flies back into wall before slithering down to the floor. Clark looks on helpless as the axe comes down for his head but just before impact it stops like it has been grabbed by some invisible force. It then flies from his assailant's hands and across the room where it is caught by a tall man with dark hair and a black jacket with four silver spots on it. Flanking him is a shorter boy with red hair wearing a blue jacket with symbols of lightning on the collar and a beautiful blond woman wearing a red jacket.

The woman places her fingers to her temple and Clark's assailant grabs his head like he is in pain suddenly. The boy with red hair steps forward. "Watch this," he says like he wants Clark to watch him show off before he raises his hand forward. Lighting then shoots from the red haired boy's hand striking Clark's opponent and throwing him into the wall next to Clark. The tall man then walks over grabbing the torn sheets, as he passes the destroyed bed, and gives them to Clark to cover himself with before the man bends down and pulls a ring off his metal masked attacker's finger. "Have a nice trip home you hack," the man says.

The guy in the metal mask then vanishes in a purple flash of light. The tall man then helps Clark to his feet while Clark ties the sheet around his waist and covers his bleeding wound with his hands in an attempt to staunch the flow.

"Kal-El it is an absolute honour and a privilege," the dark haired man says with genuine reverence.

"How do you know my name? Who are you?" Clark demands to know.

The woman is the one to answer. "We are the Legion."

* * *

_Author's Note: Ok I totally stole the last bit from Smallville but I loved the image of an axe slicing down between Buffy and Clark while they are in bed. The Legion is of course the Legion of Superheroes from the 31st century. I told you there would be time travel involved. Now where did Buffy go? Or should that be when? Or both?_

_Thanks to all those who wrote reviews._


	38. Part 3 Chapter 13: Future's Doomsday I

Chapter 13: Future's Doomsday I

Buffy crashes down in a stinking alley in a pool of muddy filthy water. "Great. Just great," she mutters to herself. Not only is she cold, wet and naked, now she has probably caught a disease that will cause all sort of body parts to fall off. She gets to her feet and tries to make an assessment of her situation. With a look upward she can tell that is daytime but overcast and a customary assessment of the buildings around her seems to make her think she is back in the States somehow. It is just a feeling she gets from the brickwork of the buildings to either side of her. Somehow she just knows she is back in America.

Seeing nothing near that she can cover herself with she sees no choice but to head out and probably get arrested. Oh joy! Like she needs another felony added to her criminal record. When she finds out who has done this to her they are going to get an up close and personal meeting with her fist. With a shake of her head Buffy heads for the alley's exit with a shiver. She rubs her own arms. She is unsurprisingly chilly. She approaches the street up ahead. Well no time like the present to get over any modesty issues she has. She steps from the alley onto the street ahead and sees...

"God," she whispers in horror. Up and down the whole street the buildings lie in ruin, debris litters the pavements and the road alongside wrecked and burnt out cars. There are also bodies. Lots of bodies that have by the look of them been decaying for years. Where is she?

"Hello!" she calls out loudly. "Is anyone there?!"

She listens for a few moments but hears nothing. Absolutely nothing apart from the wind whistling through the wrecked buildings. No people, cars, not even any animals. It is like every living thing is dead. Buffy wanders along the street and spots a long coat hanging in a wrecked car. Not really wanting to steal clothes off the dead she goes with this as her best option. She grabs it and puts it on. Better than nothing she guesses. Next she spots an old faded newspaper inside the same car and grabs it too. Most of the print is ruined and unreadable. One thing that isn't is the name of the paper. The Daily Planet and in small print it says Metropolis edition. She is in Metropolis. Well that is a start but what has happened to it. What Buffy notices next is the date on the paper and her eyes widen in response. If she is reading this right then she is at least 12 years in the future and like she observed this paper is old which means it is even further than that.

Buffy studies the paper further but all she can make out is a word in the headline that looks like 'DOOMSDAY'. Otherwise it is a complete bust for getting anything further. She wonders what she should do. Where she should go. She thinks for a second. Well the Daily Planet would be a good place to start to find out what has happened. Newspapers keep archives. It is also where Chloe works or use to work or whatever. For the moment it is simply the best idea she can come up with. Now next problem; how the hell does she get there?

Before she can decide which direction to head to Buffy's attention is caught by a slight tremor. Huh feels like a small earthquake.

Another tremor only stronger.

Another one even stronger than before. It is then she hears an inhuman roar. Buffy spins round fast to see a dot appear in the sky moving towards her. It gets bigger and bigger and then lands not 20 feet away from her shaking the ground, causing the wrecked and abandoned cars to bounce a clear foot and nearly toppling her over. She audibly gulps. Buffy has seen a lot of scary things in her life. Hell she fought a god once but this thing...it is huge. Must be 9 feet tall with grey skin. Bony spurs project out of it from its brow, jaw, shoulders, elbows, fists, knees and chest. Inhuman red glowing eyes seems to take her in coldly. Buffy braces herself for whatever happens next.

Suddenly and so swiftly Buffy doesn't have time to react the creature moves forward and grabs her within it's massive hands. Buffy struggles but quickly realises its grip is beyond her ability to break. It is squeezing her so tight she can't breathe. Her vision starts to darken as the lack of oxygen causes her to pass out.

Doomsday looks at the limp figure in its hands with mild curiosity only it is not it's own. It is it's master, the one that controls it looking through its eyes. A cool female voice speaks that only Doomsday hears. "Excellent job my pet. Now bring our guest home to mommy."

Doomsday turns back to face the direction it came from and then leaps into sky so it can take its prize home.

* * *

Back to the present in Tokyo.

"The who?" Clark asks his uninvited guests.

"The Legion," the dark haired man, Rokk, repeats. Meanwhile the woman has picked up another piece of the torn sheets and is attempting to bandage up Clark. "We come from the 31st century," the woman tells him.

Clark's first reaction to that is to channel Chloe's sceptical nature and think 'Yeah right. Sure you are' but with a second's more thought he decides to be a little more open mined. After all he is aware that time travel is possible. Hell he has travelled through time once when he was saving Lana.

The woman gently bandages his wound. "I am Imra," she says introducing herself, "and you won't heal as fast as you expect," she informs him. "That axe can split an atom in half."

Clark gives her a smile that shows he appreciates her helping him. Also if he wasn't engaged and frantically worried over Buffy's disappearance he would surely notice that Imra is kinda hot.

Imra finishes bandaging Kal while taking a moment to take in a person she consider an idol shirtless with all that smooth skin coated over the firm, toned muscles. She feels heat creeping into places she would rather not have her team-mates know about. Holovids just don't do Kal justice she decides.

Rokk shakes his head. "Imra," he says a little bit annoyed. "He's going to be fine. We need to go before we attract attention."

The door to the room flies open to reveal a hastily dressed Faith and Satsu along with Willow who had woken them up knowing she was going to need help after she had felt Buffy disappear or more accurately had felt Buffy be ripped away. "Oh I think it is a little late for that tall, dark and handsome," Faith says half flirting, half threatening.

Clark holds his hand up indicating for the others to wait a minute. These people did save him and might know what has happened to Buffy "You said you were from the 31st century. Why should I believe you?"

Garth, the red headed boy, steps forward. "Because we know everything about you. You may be known as Clark Kent now but one day you will be known as Sup..."

"Garth!" Rokk shouts not quite believing what his fellow Legionnaire was about to reveal there. It is the one of the main rules of time travel. Don't reveal future events to anyone. He turns his attention back to Kal and the others. "It doesn't matter if you believe us or not. The less you know the better. We can tell you, all of you, that we are your friends but now we have to go."

Garth meanwhile has made his way closer to the doorway caught by the hot brunette. "No way! You're Faith aren't you?"

Faith looks at the not uncute boy. "Yeah. What of it?"

Garth turns to face Rokk. "Rokk. It's her. The Dark Slayer."

"Garth," Rokk says, saying the name with increasing exasperation. "You know the code. Don't touch anything. Don't say anything."

Garth rolls his eyes. "Get the magnet out of your ass, Rokk. I mean this is unreal. I didn't think we would ever meet her."

Clark wants to get things back on the only subject he cares about right now. "Why are you here?" he asks bluntly.

"We're here to save you," Rokk answers simply. "And now we're leaving."

"You are not going anywhere," Clark tells him in no uncertain terms. "Not until I get some answers. You can start with who the axe wielding psycho was."

"It's against Legion code," Rokk argues.

"I don't care about your code!" Clark snaps. "And I don't care about your Legion. Just before that guy showed up my fiancée vanished into thin air."

The 3 Legionnaires look at each other with the same puzzled expression. "What is her name?" Rokk asks.

"Buffy," Clark answers. "Buffy..."

"Summers," Rokk finishes.

Garth and Imra look at Rokk. "Rokk she isn't suppose to vanish. Not at this point in history," Garth says, the slight cheeky attitude in his voice vanished to be replaced by a deadly serious one.

"I know Garth," Rokk says back. This is bad. Very, very bad. Possibly the destruction of history as they know it bad.

"If you know anything," Clark says almost pleading. "Tell me."

Rokk lets out a sigh. He has no choice. If they don't fix this there might not be a future for them to return to. "That guy, he goes by the name 'Persuader'. He's part of the human supremacist movement. A group of xenophobes who'd rather die than live in peace with aliens. And they all...pretty much hate you. They stole one of our Legion rings, and they broke into the time institute to come after you."

"Why would a 31st century terrorist want to kill me?" Clark asks very confused. He can't see what he could have done for someone to go through all that effort.

"Kal-El, your...," Rokk pauses for a moment while he tries to think of the correct words. "Your influence will reach far beyond earth. It's because of you that the world learns to welcome alien immigrants with open arms," he tries to explain.

"What do you know about aliens?" Clark asks.

All 3 give certain looks that take a moment for Clark to work out but when he does he can't stop the feeling of surprise that flows through him and the feeling of a sudden connection he feels to these 3. They are just like him.

"I don't get quite what is going on here," Faith points out to the assembled group.

Garth gives Faith a little smile before he explains. "I may have the smouldering good looks of a human, but I'm actually from a hunk of mud called Winath. Rokk and Imra are from different planets, too."

Imra speaks telepathically into all their minds. "We've come together, from across the universe, to form the Legion -- to help others, as Kal does. Without him, none of that would have happened."

Clark is having kind of a hard time absorbing that. He is still remembered...revered even, 1000 years from now. He mentally slaps himself. He needs to focus. "What about what happened to Buffy?"

Rokk shares a look with Imra and Garth before he continues. "The group we mentioned that the Persuader belongs to. Lately we have discovered that they have a new leader. One we couldn't identify or find. What we did discover is that the only contact they have with this leader is through communication signals. Communication signals with a quantum differential."

"What does that mean?" Faith asks having gotten a little lost.

"It means this leader is in a different time period," Clark answers. "Whoever did this has the ability to travel through time."

"Actually we don't think so," Rokk says correcting Clark. "We believe that is why they only use signals to communicate because they can't physically travel through time. It is much easier to send a signal than it is to move something with actual mass."

"But still that is what could have happened to Buffy right?" Clark asks hopefully. Hopeful that Buffy isn't dead. "They could have grabbed her and moved her into a different time."

"It's possible," Rokk concedes.

"It would also make some sense that they would try to remove Buffy Summers out of the way if their main goal is to kill Kal," Imra adds based on her knowledge of future history.

"It would," Rokk says in agreement. "It seems whoever is doing this is trying to reshape the entire time-line."

Faith raises her hand. "Can we get the subtitled version of this?"

"Someone is trying to change future history," Garth explains. "Or at least the version we are familiar with."

"What other version is there?" Satsu asks.

Rokk lets out a breath. "Many. Time is not a straight line as you probably think of it. It loops and branches off into infinite channels that can cross and intersect each other. Pieces of it break off and form what you would call parallel universes."

"It's like a tangled ball of multi-coloured crazy string," Clark says trying to give them an understandable illustration. His father had gone over the basics of temporal mechanics with him. His head had nearly exploded and he asked for a visible representation and to him it looked like a ball of crazy string with all the infinite complexities that entails.

Rokk continues. "Such complexity means that attempting alterations to established events can have unpredictable consequences. It requires precise and meticulous planning and calculation to achieve the changes you want. The person doing this is either a genius or..."

"Or what?" Faith asks.

"Or they are completely insane."

"Can you find Buffy?" Clark asks them.

"I'm sorry Kal," Rokk begins to say wishing he had a different answer. "Tracking a single person's motion through time is impossible unless they have a tracking device like our rings." He holds his hand up with the golden ring with a gold L on a black background and a gold star off to the side.

"Maybe for you," Willow says suddenly speaking up. "But not for me."

Clark spins round. "You can find her?" he asks eagerly.

Willow slowly tilts her head to the side as she thinks. She had listened intently to the whole conversation and a few ideas popped into her head about what to do and how to find Buffy. "Possibly. I might know a way. I'll need to get a few things and I need you to go and bring someone here for me assuming you're up to it."

While he isn't completely healed from the axe wound yet Clark reckons he will be in less than an hour. "I'll manage it," he tells Willow. "Now who is it you need me to get?"

Willow answers that in one simple word. "Chloe."

* * *

Back in the future Buffy starts to come round. She half expects to see the brilliant, all encompassing, soul soothing white light that she remembers all too well from her last death. Instead what she sees is certainly white but it is simply the white paint of a ceiling. Buffy blinks a few times and takes a deep breath to test that she her lungs are still working. Her sides ache a little but not too bad. She sits up to find herself in a double bed with silk sheets?

Ooh they feel nice against her skin. When she gets out of this and gets home she will have to see about getting some.

Pushing that though aside for now Buffy takes in the room she is in. It's a big room and nicely decorated. Looks like a guest room some rich person would have. She wonders how she ended up here since her last memory is getting the life squeezed out of her by the Hulk's ugly cousin. Her attention is grabbed by the door opening and a girl, no older than 18 at most, walking in with a tray with food and drink.

"Ah you're awake," the girl observes. "The Mistress will be pleased."

Buffy takes in the girl, obviously a servant of some sort, and dressed like a servant too with a proper uniform. White shirt, black dress. The girl is currently wearing an apron too. She has dark hair and hazel eyes and is about Buffy's height. She also has this look. A look of utter submission like her spirit has been completely broken. She is wearing this false smile that Buffy can recognise a mile away because she has worn the exact same one. Wearing it not because she is happy but because it is what is expected. "Mistress?" Buffy queries. "And who exactly is this Mistress?"

The girl stops her approach to the bed with a look of surprise like no-one has ever dared ask a question before.

"She is the Mistress," the girl says like that is an explanation.

Buffy cocks her head. "That is not an answer. I mean does this Mistress have a name."

The girl's false smile falters. "One does not ask questions like that of the Mistress. It is not..." the girl pauses like she is struggling to find the word. "Appropriate," she finally decides on.

Buffy frowns. She doesn't like the sound of this. Suddenly female laughter echoes through the room but without any obvious source. "I had forgotten how...inappropriate you could be," the voice says with a combination of amusement and delight Buffy thinks.

"You know me?" Buffy asks back speaking into the air as the mention of how the voice had 'forgotten' her.

"Once very long ago," the voice answers.

Buffy thinks hard trying to place the voice but it is echoing so much it doesn't sound like anyone she knows. "So if I can ask what is your name?"

"You may ask but I don't have to answer."

Buffy's patience is wearing thin. She opens her mouth to say more but is cut off. "We will meet soon enough and then all your questions shall be answered Buffy but first you must eat, bathe and be properly attired. My pet found you in a less than fully clothed state."

'Pet?' Buffy thinks to herself silently. That creature is this Mistress' pet. That cannot be a good thing. It had been far, far stronger than Buffy herself was and much faster. What kind of being is this Mistress that she can call it her pet.

"Andrea," the voice pronounces in a haughty tone.

The girl almost jumps out of her skin. "Yes Mistress," she replies.

"Why is my guest not eating the meal I had prepared for her?" the Mistress' voice asks rhetorically.

"Forgive me Mistress," Andrea begs.

"This time. Now give Buffy her food and prepare her bath. Chop, chop."

"Yes Mistress," Andrea says obediently as she places the tray down on the bed next to Buffy before hurriedly exiting the room.

Buffy watches her go feeling immensely sorry for her. To be so broken...even Buffy can barely imagine what it must be like. Realising that this Mistress is probably watching her somehow Buffy lifts the tray onto her lap and starts eating. She will play along for now.

Following that Buffy has what in any other circumstances would be a luxurious bath. The bathroom was certainly a luxury one. The kind only the really, really rich can afford. After that Andrea, who appeared to have been appointed to look after her, led Buffy back to her room where Buffy was to get changed and then she would be led to meet the Mistress. Buffy looks through the wardrobe and drawers to find that the clothes inside were not only her size but her style. She was surprised until she remembered that this Mistress knew her apparently. Buffy wondered if she knew this Mistress. She was in the future after all. Maybe it was someone Buffy hadn't actually met yet.

Once dressed Buffy is led through the house/mansion to a study. Andrea gestures at the balcony on the other side of the room. "The Mistress awaits you," she informs Buffy.

Buffy wanders forward. As she nears the balcony a figure comes into view dressed in a ankle length brown dress that Buffy would call old fashioned. It looks, well she is no expert, 19th century or something. So the Mistress was definitely female. Buffy could see that but with her back to Buffy looking out Buffy didn't know what she looked like. Pitch black hair that drops below the shoulder looks kinda familiar. Like a nightmare she had tried to forget.

The woman turns round, looks at Buffy and a subtle smile forms on her face like seeing Buffy is stirring a pleasant memory. Buffy meanwhile looks back with a mixture of feelings at the woman with eyes of pure back. Black pronounced veins also cover the woman's face and neck. Fear. Horror. Sorrow. Pity. All these feelings run through Buffy's being. All of which come out in her voice as she whispers a single word. "Willow."


	39. Part 3 Chapter 14: Future's Doomsday II

Chapter 14: Future's Doomsday II

"So forgive me for asking this again but why are we dashing across the pacific?" Chloe asks as what she is sure were the Hawaiian islands flash by in the distance from her secure position in Clark's arms as he flies them towards Japan. His timing as always was awful. She had just gotten into work when he showed up with the usual gust of wind that sent every bit of paper on her desk flying off. He really has to stop doing that before she gets fed up and hits him with a piece of kryptonite. She will do it one day. She even has this quite large piece all picked out. Anyway aside from that all Clark has said was that it was an emergency. That Buffy was missing and Willow asked for her. Of course being the person she is she agreed to come immediately. Well almost immediately. She had to get Lois to agree to cover for her first which to be fair to Lois she did without much arguing. No that'll come later when she gets back and Lois gives her the third degree.

"I don't know Chlo. I never did get all the details," Clark replies. In truth he never asked. As soon as he felt he was healed enough he changed clothes and was flying across the Pacific as fast as he could knowing that he would have to go slower on the way back because he would be carrying Chloe.

Chloe frowns slightly. She hopes Buffy is alright. Although she wishes she knew more about as to why she was needed. She just can't see how she can help in a situation like this. On the other hand this is a chance for her to see her girlfriend which is an all too rare thing so why the hell is she complaining?

* * *

"So why did you call in your girlfriend and why didn't you just her zap her here with your magic mojo?" Faith asks Willow who is currently setting up ingredients in her room. As for their 3 guests Satsu a few slayers were keeping an eye on them.

"Well gee Faith let me think on why I didn't zap her here as you put it. It couldn't be, oh I don't know, that maybe just maybe I fought a very powerful witch a couple of days ago therefore using up a lot of energy and if we have any chance of getting Buffy back I need to conserve my energy. Opening portals through time isn't easy you know!" Willow snaps at the dark haired slayer.

"Whoa easy there Red. I didn't mean anything by it. I was just curious."

Willow simply shakes her head and gets back to work as she practices the spell in her head. Unfortunately Faith keeps talking.

"So how is this going to work?" she asks.

Willow lets out a huff of annoyance. "The spell will open up a door to the higher planes," she explains. "Up there are beings who exist outside of time and can therefore see it. I'll simply project my spirit up there and ask one of them where Buffy is."

"Huh. That seems kinda simple," Faith comments almost disappointed.

"Well it isn't," Willow contradicts her. "Doing this by one's self usually requires 40 or 50 years of instruction and meditation from a certain group of Tibetan monks to learn how to free your soul from your body but since we don't have 4 or 5 decades to spare I'll have to do it another way."

Faith frowns up in puzzlement. "Um why don't we have time? B isn't going anywhere."

Willow tries to think on how to answer that in a way Faith will understand. "It isn't as simple as that. From the moment Buffy was taken that time period and this one became linked, moving along in parallel. Time has passed for her as it has for us and if she happens to die in this time then she is dead. I can't retrieve her form an earlier time."

"Why not?" Faith asks.

Ooh boy. Faith is opening a whole can of worms there. "It is like Clark said. Time is very complicated Faith. If I am not careful I could end up erasing us all. Even when I was full blown evil I barely considered messing around with it. There is a limit to what I can do."

"Okay," Faith says slowly barely understanding that. "So why do you need your girlfriend?" she asks getting back to her original question.

"To help free my soul from my body," Willow answers. "There are two ways to go about it. I kill myself."

"Yeah. I wouldn't go with that option," Faith advises.

Willow continues "Or I experience the next closest thing to dying."

"Which is?"

"Orgasms," Willow answers. "Mind blowing, soul freeing orgasms."

"Huh?" Faith says.

Willow takes a breath. "La petite mort," she says. "It means 'the short death'. It was how someone once described an orgasm as a moment of transcendence. How you ever felt after a really great orgasm like you were floating outside your body?"

Faith thinks on it. "Yeah. Maybe once or twice."

"Chances are that is exactly what you were doing. Now if I combine that with my spell it will allow my spirit to temporarily cross over to the higher planes and that is why I called Chloe."

Faith snorts. "You could have asked me to do it if all you are after is a great orgasm or two."

"Uh no. I'm not cheating on my girlfriend. Not even in the name of saving Buffy. Not when it was possible to get Chloe here."

"And if you couldn't have gotten her here?" Faith queries.

Luckily Willow is saved from answering that by the door flying open. "Willow!" Chloe shouts joyfully as she bursts in the room.

Willow gets to her feet and opens her arms just as Chloe runs into them. "Hey baby!" Shortly after that comes the kissing causing Faith to be the one to actually cough to stop them.

"We don't have time for that," Faith chastises causing Willow to arch an eyebrow in response.

Faith buries her head in her hands. "Oh God I sounded all responsible there didn't I."

Willow grins cheekily. "Aw. Looks like our little girl is finally growing up," she teases.

Faith glowers at Willow in response.

Chloe has to hold in a giggle at that. Her girlfriend could be really funny and playful at times but she guesses there really isn't time for that. Clark had dropped her off and gone to find their 3 visitors from the future. Chloe is so interviewing them before they leave by the way. "So why do you need me?" she asks Willow.

Faith's lips adopt a smug grin. "Yeah Red. Why don't you explain to her why you need her here."

Willow's expression becomes hard. "Faith. Out!" she orders.

Faith holds her hands up. "Fine, fine I'm going," she submits as she leaves the room. Maybe she can find out if that dark haired visitor of theirs is single or not.

Chloe watches Faith leave before turning back to Willow. "So why am I here?"

Willow takes a breath and explains all.

"You want me to what?" Chloe asks pretty sure she must be hearing things about what Willow wants her to do. That can be the only explanation for her burning red cheeks right about now.

"Sex Chloe. We need to have sex."

"Yeah that is what I thought you said but you know I'm not sure I can...um...bring you to the required level," she says with genuine doubt.

Willow strokes Chloe's back and kisses her on the cheek. "Of course you can," she reassures Chloe. After all they've had sex and Willow isn't being dishonest in saying it was pretty darn good.

Chloe lets out a breath. She isn't a witch and despite being Willow's girlfriend she is far from being an expert on magic so this whole thing sounds pretty hokey to her but if Willow thinks this will help get Buffy back then Chloe is willing to give it a go. "Ok. Um so when do we do this?"

Willow smiles. "Right now," she says, her voice low and husky as she brings her lips to Chloe's.

* * *

**Back in the future.**

Willow takes in Buffy carefully, slowly from her toes to the top of her head. "Hello there Buffy."

"Oh my God!" Buffy yells out in shock. "You went dark again?! You are in so much trouble for going dark. How could you even..."

Buffy's ramblings are cut off by Willow's laughter.

"What is so damn funny!?" Buffy demands to know.

Willow takes a moment to get her laughter under control before answering. "I had forgotten...I had forgotten what you were like. It's been so long and I've seen so much. The past, present, future, the other future, the other other future, the other, other, other...well you get the idea."

"What happened to you Will?" Buffy asks with genuine sadness.

"Everyone died Buffy," Willow answers. "But I'm going to change that. I already have."

"What do you mean?"

"With you gone there is no-one to save him this time. My little axe-man will bring about Kal-El's end."

As it sinks in Buffy's eyes widen in understanding. "Oh. My. God. You sent that guy!"

Willow's dark coated lips curve into a smirk. "Yes that was plan B. You managed to stop plan A."

"Plan A?"

"The reason you were in Tokyo Buffy."

"You? You did that too?"

"Of course. I knew you would throw every one of your little girls in front of him so I decided to get rid of them. Poor, poor Kumiko. My beloved darling. I taught her so much you know. How did it feel to kill her Buffy?"

Buffy doesn't answer that last part. How did she feel. She didn't. To do what she did feelings have to be turned off. Instead she has a question of her own. "How could you do that?!" Buffy demands to know of Willow. How could she arrange the murder of the girls like that? You know aside from Willow being all evil now.

"Now don't get on your high horse with me missy," Willow says sounding really condescending. "I created them. It is my right to destroy them for the greater good."

"How is killing Clark for the greater good?"

Willow chuckles darkly. "Oh Buffy. You are so simple yet smart enough not to try and attack me. Wise decision by the way considering I kicked your ass last time and this time I'm infinitely more powerful."

"Why? Why are you doing this?"

"I thought it would be obvious Buffy. I'm doing this to save your life."

"Save my life?" Buffy asks sceptically.

"Of course. It's because of him. It is all because of him." Willow's voice as taken a decidedly menacing tone.

"Him? You mean Clark."

Willow sighs. "Very well if we must use his name yes I mean Clark."

"What is because of him?"

"Your death Buffy. Your future death. You die sacrificing yourself for him and I'm going to undo it you see. That's why you're here. I tried so hard to manipulate the timelines to erase Clark but each and every time I tried you popped up and saved him so I'm wiping you from the board. That's why I brought you here. To get you out of my way. Without you around Clark will perish and then since Clark is gone you won't end up sacrificing your life for his. I will bring you back to life once more."

"Willow what I'm going to say takes in to consideration our long friendship and the fact that I love you but you are insane."

Willow chuckles once more. "Quite probably," she admits. "But you see all this is their fault."

"Whose fault?"

"The others. Faith, Xander, Dawn, the other slayers. You see when you died I could have brought you back but they wouldn't let me. They had decided in their infinite wisdom that there comes a time when you simply have to let things be and that it was time to let you go. The traitors. They binded my powers, threw me in a cell and left me to rot. Is it any wonder I went a little cuckoo. By the time I escaped it was too late. Your soul had reached a place where even I couldn't retrieve it from."

Buffy looks at her with less pity and more anger. "Who the hell do you think you are Willow?"

"Excuse me?" Willow asks with genuine surprise at Buffy's attitude.

"Bring me back to life? Did you even ever consider that they were right? That there comes a time when you can't cheat death anymore." Buffy shakes her head trying to wrap her mind around this. She had come to accept her resurrection as something she simply couldn't change but she also knew that it had come at a price of possibly Tara's life. If what Willow says is true and that is a big if because she has obviously flipped then she agrees with what the others decided to simply let her go but Willow for some reason didn't seem to understand this. Maybe she can make her understand yet. She addresses her friend. "You are not God Willow. Stop acting like one and in case you forgot last time you ripped me out of heaven. Did it occur to you that you might end up doing the same again?"

"Don't you understand Buffy. That time...you could have been anywhere. In some hell dimension. Anywhere!"

Gee that wasn't avoiding Buffy's point or anything. Well now that Willow raises that subject Buffy continues with it. "Did you even bother to check where I was? No you just assumed that you knew absolutely what was right and to hell if it upset the natural order!"

"The natural order is wrong!" Willow screams. "It took my Tara away from me! It took you away from me! It took Chlo..." Willow stops realising she has said too much.

Buffy's eyes widen once more at Willow's slip and she begins to think that this isn't really about her at all. That Willow has twisted the whole thing up in her head. "What happened to Chloe Will?" Buffy asks.

Dark power crackles around Willow's form. "It was him! She sacrificed herself just like you did but I'll change it. Clark is going to die and no-one is going to stop me. Not even you!" She then suddenly looks around at something only she can see. "NO!" she yells in outrage. "You won't stop me either!"

"Will what is going on?"

Willow calms herself down before she gives Buffy a frightening chilly look which tells Buffy that nothing she has said has made one jot of difference to Willow. That she is going to continue on regardless with what she perceives is right except that her friend no longer has any sense of what is right.

"It seems we have 3 do-gooders who want to get in my way so it looks like we will have to move onto plan C," Willow informs Buffy of what she saw.

As understanding at Willow's words sink in Buffy's heart feels lighter. "Clark survived," she whispers with relief.

"Temporarily," Willow assures Buffy.

Buffy takes a few moments to consider her next move. Ok she is stuck with her psychotic and lets not forget evil best friend who seems intent on killing her fiancé. She needs to think. What does she do? Right the gang will figure out a way to reach her. In the meantime she needs to know how all this happened so she can prevent it once she gets back and if she can keep Willow distracted from anymore attempts on Clark's life that would be a bonus.

Willow suddenly laughs. "Oh I know what you are thinking Buffy. You're thinking that you need to keep me distracted until my younger self saves the day and that everything will be ok once you get back. You are so wrong you know."

"Am I?" Buffy asks defiantly.

"I am trying to save your life Buffy. Don't you get it."

"What I get is that you have allowed yourself to become some twisted mockery of the person I once knew and that you have lost all perspective of what is right and wrong."

"You know I have killed people for less than what you just said," Willow says callously.

"You said yourself Will. You are trying to save me," Buffy says a little bit smugly.

"Yes and for that Clark has to die before you die for him."

"If that's true why not kill him when he is a baby or something?" Buffy cannot believe she just said that. What is she trying to do? Give Evil Willow ideas on how to kill Clark. Fortunately the next thing Willow says eases Buffy's worries slightly.

"Oh someone already tried that. Or from your perspective they will one day. Didn't work. No, no. Needs careful planning and all that. Otherwise I might end up erasing myself and I certainly don't want that to happen but you managed to get me off my original point. You think you can go back and everything will be fine and dandy. You are wrong."

Gee even when she is evil Willow babbles Buffy thinks to herself but that is off subject. "In what way am I wrong?"

"You see the only thing that can be changed is when it happens because it is fated to happen and nothing can change that. That is why you have to let me finish what I have started. At least then you will live."

"Ok forgive me if this sounds rude Will but what the hell are you on about?!"

Willow sighs sounding a little bored and frustrated which is never a good thing when she is evil. She tends to skin people alive and all that. Then suddenly she brightens up as an idea strikes her. "You know what it will be better to show you. Up for a field trip?"

The way Willow said that makes Buffy suddenly have a very bad feeling about this.

* * *

Oh goddess. She is so close. So close. Willow's whole body arches as Chloe's lips and hands work their magic on her and then...then...

"AAAHHH!!!" Willow screams as she finds herself no longer lying on the bed but surrounded by green smoke. Oh good she did it but she doesn't have long. Only as long as her body is in its current orgasmic state will her spirit remain here. She sits up and looks around as naked here as she was in the real world.

"I was wondering when you would be back," a silky smooth and frankly erotic voice says and appearing before Willow is a green skinned woman with long white hair that goes past the shoulders with the tail of a snake instead of legs. Think Medusa in Clash of the Titans without the snake hair and the turning to stone with a single look. It was the teacher she met when she had been being rehabilitated with the Covenant in England. There was a door there between dimensions which made it easier than what she had just had to go through but even then it took several witches to work the spell to do it. It was easier on her although less pleasurable but also less risky too when there were the others there. Her teacher was one of these ambiguous types when it came to whose side they were on which made her the perfect person to teach Willow how to walk that line between good and evil. She was also one of these things that never told you their name as to do so would give you too much power over them so Willow never called her anything other than 'Teacher'.

"You know I can't stay long," Willow says. "Little tricky getting here."

"But fun, no?" the teacher says sounding rather amused knowing exactly how Willow did get here.

"Just tell me where Buffy is," Willow pleads since she is on a hurry.

"You can't do it yourself?" the teacher asks disappointedly. She thought she had taught Willow better.

"I don't have that kind of power," Willow argues.

"Is that so?" the teacher asks sceptically.

Willow shakes her head. "Time-bending isn't like some cross-dimensional jaunt. It's dangerous and only someone on the deep dark would mess with that."

The teacher folds her arms across her chest. "You know you don't write, you don't call and when you do come to visit all I get is a demand to locate your little lost friend and some excuses about you not knowing what to do. I thought I taught you better," she says in a huff.

Willow lowers her head. "I'm sorry," she apologises. "You know how grateful I am for what we...for what you taught me. But this is Buffy. I need her back. Her fiancé needs her back. We all need her back."

The teacher chuckles amused. "Oh yes the fiancé. Shame you didn't send him to me. I could have 'taught' him so much too."

Willow's head shoot up and she fixes her teacher a look of disbelief.

"My, my Willow. Is that jealously I see in your eyes? Oh dear what would your girlfriend think."

Willow grumbles umamused by that comment. "Enough games...please."

The teacher sighs. "Very well but you do not need me really. Simply follow the connection."

"The connection?" Willow asks puzzled.

"To the voice you heard in Kumiko's head. The one you have heard as well. Follow that and you will reach where you need to go but be warned Willow Rosenberg. You will not like what you find there."

"But how do I..." Willow begins to ask but is cut off by the teacher placing her hands on Willow's cheeks and bringing their faces to be only inches apart. Dammit! How does something that looks like her teacher manage to be so incredibly sexy and sensuous at the same time. Willow has to fight the sudden urge she has to move her head forward and kiss those lips that are so close to her own and only her feelings for Chloe are preventing her from doing so.

"When you return you will know how," the teacher promises.

Willow nods in understanding. "Thank you." She can then feel the pull back to her body getting stronger. "It seems to be time to go."

"So brief a stay," the teacher laments.

"I'll visit again soon," Willow promises out of respect as she starts to fade out of this dimension.

"Yes. Do come again soon," the teacher requests hopefully with a touch of longing.

Willow finds herself back on the bed panting furiously as the aftermath of her climax still rocks her body. "Goddess!" she whispers breathlessly as she feels Chloe climb up over her body until she is lying next to her.

"Was that ok? Did I manage it?" Chloe asks unsure.

Willow turns her head and gives Chloe a kiss. "You did and I'll just say for the record; wow!"

Chloe giggles happily.

Willow catches her breath. "We need to go tell the others to get ready to leave. I know what to do."

"You do?"

Willow sits up and nods. "Yeah." Just like her teacher promised she knows what to do now. The knowledge is suddenly there is her mind like she had known it all along. Willow grabs her shirt as Chloe does the same. "Um Chlo."

"Yes."

"When this is over there is some stuff I have to tell you about what happened when I was in England a couple of years back." Willow had kinda of neglected to go into detail as to what exactly happened in England.

"Ok," Chloe says not sure what else to say.

Willow leans over and kisses Chloe once more. "Just so you know that whatever I did in the past from now and always I love you."

Chloe's breath catches and her beats faster. She and Willow had never actually shared those 3 words yet and now she is here dropping them...well it is all so sudden. Chloe isn't quite sure what to say back because sure she cares for Willow a lot. Thinks about her constantly, draws little hearts with 'WR + CS forever' written inside them, daydreams about their future...oh dear god. She does love Willow.

"It's ok. You don't have to say it back," Willow says sounding a little sad. In the next second Chloe has virtually jumped her, kissing her passionately until she is breathless. "What...what was that for?" Willow asks as she catches her breath.

Chloe is smiling so widely the corners of her lips almost reach her ears. "Just because."

"Just because?" Willow queries.

"I love you too."

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you to all those who wrote reviews. Sorry this update has taken awhile. My muse has not been at his inspiring best lately._


	40. Part 3 Chapter 15: Future's Doomsday III

Chapter 15: Future's Doomsday III

"So forgive me for asking this again but why are we dashing across the pacific?" Dawn asks from Clark's arms. He had just shown up out of the blue just when she was getting ready for her day at college. She had a late start so she had slept in. Anyway she was getting ready for college where she could spend at least a few hours getting to know Connor better because she had determined she really wanted to get to know him 'better' if you catch her drift. Anyway Clark showed up, rushed out a story about Buffy vanishing, an axe-guy almost killing him, 3 people showing up from the 31st century and that to get Buffy back they needed her or more precisely the power of the Key that flows within her blood so she gets changed into more appropriate clothes and before you can say 'Ok Clark I'm ready' she finds herself in his arms soaring into the sky westward.

Clark sighs. Here he goes again. Willow had shown up after returning from preforming whatever it was with Chloe. What went on he didn't want to know in detail. He is an old-fashioned farm boy after all and frankly there are limits to what he can take in terms of graphic detail. Anyway Willow showed up and asked him ever so politely if he could nip across the pacific once more and get Dawn which he has done. "Willow can explain it better Dawn. I'm just the errand boy," Clark says in answer to her question.

"Uh huh. I see. One question though. How the hell did you lose my sister?!" Dawn demands to know rather irate.

"I didn't lose her," Clark says defensively. "She just vanished and I got an axe stuck into my side which I might add was very painful."

"Oh please," Dawn says pouring on the scorn. "I bet you healed in like an hour or something."

"Well kind of," Clark mumbles.

"I thought as much. Was that the Hawaiian islands we just passed?"

"Yes Dawn."

"Ok cool. How is that you can fly anyway? Aren't you breaking the laws of physics?"

"Like those mean so much around the ball of green energy turned into a girl," Clark says sarcastically.

"Wow. You have been hanging around Buffy way too much. You are starting to sound like her."

"You know most people are just happy taking in the wonder of being flown," Clark remarks.

Dawn grins. "Yeah but I'm not most people. I'm a Summers," she states proudly.

* * *

"So how the hell did you lose my sister?!" Dawn demands to know as she walks into the room containing Willow, Chloe, Faith, Satsu and the 3 Legionnaires. "And where the heck is Xander?"

Willow groans. "You didn't tell her did you?" she asks of Clark.

Clark shakes his head very slowly while he kicks himself for forgetting. God is he an idiot and an insensitive one at that.

"Tell me what?" Dawn asks caught between suspicion and worry that she is about to hear bad news.

"Renee was killed Dawn," Willow tells the younger Summers.

Dawn closes her eyes for a second as she absorbs that news.

"And Xander wanted to be left alone," Willow continues on to say. "This...what has happened...I'm not sure this is something he really needs to know about right now. Not when we already have help."

Dawn's eyes open and sees Willow pointing at a group of 3 people, 2 guys, 1 girl. "So who are they?"

"The friends I mentioned," Clark answers. "From the 31st century."

Dawn blows out a breath. "You know I am not usually surprised by stuff like this anymore but that one is pushing your credibility rating to the limit."

_'Yet what they say is true Dawn Summers formerly known as the Key,'_ a voice in her head says.

Dawn looks around and can see that it is the blond woman in the red jacket who must have done that. "So you can do telepathy. Big whoop. Willow can do that and hey I'm a mystical key in human form. No-one can beat that...well maybe Illyria can but whose counting."

"You apparently little D," Faith remarks with a smirk.

Dawn rolls her eyes. "Can we get on with this please so I can tease Buffy for being the one who has been kidnapped for once." Dawn turns to Willow. "Clark said you needed my blood."

Willow nods. "Yes. I will activate the power within it and it will break down the barrier between this time period and the one Buffy is in."

Dawn frowns up in confusion. "I thought I broke down the barriers between dimensions," she reminds everyone.

"Time is a dimension Dawn," Willow points out.

"Ooh right. Gotcha but wait you said you simply need to activate the power in my blood to do this?"

Willow nods once more. "Yeah."

"Well you don't need to extract my blood to do that," she argues.

Willow is confused. "I don't?"

Dawn shakes her head. "Nope. I can do it myself." Before anyone can asks what she means Dawn closes her eyes and concentrates real hard. Then to everyone in the room's surprise an ethereal green glow forms around Dawn's body.

"How are you doing that?" Willow asks Dawn.

Dawn opens her eyes and grins broadly. "Been hanging out with Illyria, you know the one who actually created me, and we talked some and well she has been teaching me how to harness my super keyness powers."

"You never mentioned you were doing that," Willow says with a mixture of surprise and concern.

"I was saving it for a surprise. If you want me to be honest..."

"Well that would be a remarkable change around here," Faith snarks interrupting Dawn

Dawn starts again while shooting Faith a glare. "If you want me to be honest we have only gotten this far as in activating the power. What I can do with it I have no idea but it's pretty cool so far right." Dawn was fed up of always being abducted or used as some pawn in another 'Lets destroy the slayer' or the world or whatever other half-brained scheme some two-bit bad guy had come up with so during one of her talks with Illyria where the Old One mentioned that the power inside Dawn was only dormant and that Dawn herself could learn to activate it and use it you know Dawn wasn't going to say no. It all started by Dawn simply talking to Illyria to find out more about herself. Yes she loved being a Summers and Buffy's sister but there is also this whole other part to herself, the Key, that she knows next to nothing about and Illyria was the one that created the key and therefore the only one who could tell her what she is exactly.

When Willow has more time she is seriously going to have to find out what Dawn has been up to but for right now she simply needs Dawn's power to help open the portal to wherever Buffy is. She goes over to Dawn and leads her to the centre of the room. "Ok Dawn just stand still and keep the power flowing. I'll do the rest."

Dawn concentrates harder and the glow around her body grows brighter, more powerful. Willow chants the incantation and a stream of green energy flows away from Dawn several feet where it begins to twist round and round until it looks like a spinning vortex. That's the barrier breached. Now all Willow has to do is direct it to the correct point, to where she heard the voice that sounded like her own. The vortex flashes, contorts, bends the space around it and then stabilises.

"That's it!" Willow shouts above the din of the portal which sounds like rushing wind.

"That's it?" Clark asks wanting confirmation.

Willow nods. "Yes. I can't guarantee we'll land anywhere near Buffy but we'll be in the right time period."

Good enough for Clark. He turns to the 3 Legionnaires. "Are you coming?"

Rokk steps forward. "We will follow you Kal. Whoever is behind this must be stopped."

Clark nods in acceptance of their decision before he turns to face the portal. Takes a moment to gather himself before he jumps through. Rokk, Garth and Imra follow him. Willow moves to give Chloe a quick kiss. "I'll see you soon," she promises.

"You better," Chloe vaguely warns her lightly which is a poor joke in an attempt to hide her real fear that she may never see her girlfriend again.

Willow gives her girlfriend a smile before she turns to Faith. "Faith in case the worse happens I've left instructions on which Wiccan can replace me."

"You sure you don't want me along?" Faith asks.

"You're the leader Faith. You need to stay here and lead," Willow tells her or in other words if all this goes horribly wrong and they all die it is time for Faith to truly step up to the mark.

"Right, " Faith says not very confident in her own abilities. "Good luck Red. Bring B home."

"I'll do my best," Willow says trying to sound upbeat. With that she faces the portal and jumps in.

The portal closes soon afterwards. The glow around Dawn fades and she finds herself out of breath and wobbling on her feet. Faith rushes over to catch her before she falls. "Whoa. Easy there little D."

"I think I may have overdone it," she says rather slurrily.

Faith leads Dawn over to a chair and sits her down. "There you rest up."

Dawn nods as she tries to catch her breath. How can she be out of breath though? She just stood there and god she feels like she ran a marathon. Ok Illyria never mentioned this. That using her power would make her feel like she is about to drop dead. Definitely need to have a chat with the Old One when she gets back to LA.

"So how and when are they getting back?" Satsu asks.

Faith shakes her head. "I don't know. Red never explained or at least not in terms I understood. I guess we just wait and see what happens."

"How long do we wait?" Satsu asks or what she didn't say 'How long do we wait and assume that they all died?'

Faith lets out a deep breath. "Well give them a day," she decides.

Just then Xander appears in the room to find Faith, Satsu, Chloe and Dawn bent over in a chair looking as if she is about to pass out. "Hey guys! What did I miss?"

* * *

Meanwhile back in the future.

"Aw try to look happy Buffy," Willow tells her old friend. "This is the only way to travel."

Buffy bites back any retort that wants to escape from her lips because it may not be a good idea to insult the person who controls the creature that has you in its arms right about now and is currently soaring through the air in an enormous leap. In the arms of the massive grey monster that brought her to Willow in the first place. It was actually quite shocking when Willow had lead Buffy out of her home which was in fact a manor. Buffy wonders if Willow transported it from somewhere else because to Buffy it looks like one of those grand manor's back in England. Anyway Buffy had discovered that of all places Willow was living as close to where Sunnydale use to be as she could possibly get. Oh yeah. Buffy got to visit the old crater and everything. Very nostalgic and gee even her thoughts are laden with sarcasm now. This is what happens when she can't verbally outlay her feelings.

Right where was she? Oh yeah the shocking bit wasn't the manor, no, or its location. It was how Willow interacted with the creature or her pet as she referred to it. There was the stroking of its cheek and comforting words and it was all really disturbing actually and it was also quite obvious that somehow Willow was in complete control of its mind assuming it has much of one.

They land with ground shaking force before the creature once more leaps upward.

"Will where are we going?" Buffy just feels she has to ask. Willow smiles in a way that is truly creepy. Buffy can feel cold shivers run down her spine and she wonders if there is anything of the good Will left in her friend at all or if it has all been consumed in darkness.

"Patience Buffy. You'll see and then I'll explain what you really want to know."

"And what is it you think I want to know?"

Willow answers in a single word "Everything."

* * *

Eventually they approach a city on the horizon. "Is that Metropolis?" Buffy asks Willow as she can recognise one feature in particular; the globe that adorns the top of the Daily Planet building.

"Yes," Willow answers.

Hmm. Buffy thinks it is curious that they are heading back to the very place she crashed down in the first place upon her arrival. She had been wondering why Willow simply hadn't transported her straight to her home. It makes Buffy feel like she is missing something.

They land on the outskirts of the city before Buffy can feel the creature once more prepare to leap upward. This is not doing her stomach any good she would just like to point out just not out-loud because Buffy feels that dark Willow over there in the creature's other arm would not care less. They go skyward sailing over the buildings below. Buffy takes a moment to see if she can catch any sign of life and can't. When Willow said that she wants to know everything Buffy guesses that includes what happened to everyone but Buffy has a feeling she knows and really doesn't want to think about it.

They come across the open space of a park where they land. The creature then lowers her and Willow to the ground.

"Good boy," Willow tells her pet with a gentle pat on its cheek. She then points in a certain direction. "This way."

Willow walks off and Buffy follows her through the untended trees. The creature follows the two of them, each of its steps making the ground shake slightly. Eventually they reach a clearing and in the clearing is a huge piece of black stone in the shape of the shield Clark takes to wearing on his chest and on the stone painted in red is that very symbol. The 3 of them stop upon reaching the site, now overgrown with weeds.

"Will what is this?" Buffy asks her.

"This is where Clark is buried Buffy. This is his grave," Willow explains in a calm, emotionless voice.

What feels like a fist clenches Buffy's heart. NO! God no! Not Clark. Clark isn't suppose to die.

Willow turns her head and observes Buffy with her cold black eyes and can see Buffy isn't up to accepting the truth yet. Very well she'll do provide proof. "Doomsday," she says addressing her pet by the name it was given. A positively evil smile comes to Willow's lips. "Dig up Clark's body," she commands.

"Will! No!" Buffy protests.

"Um I'm thinking yes actually," Willow says dismissively as Doomsday raises its fist into the air and then punches it into the ground through the concrete covering the grave.

Buffy stands there unsure what to do. Willow takes the decision out of her hands. "EZEERF!" Willow says and Buffy finds her whole body frozen in place.

"Learnt that one from a magician you know," Willow remarks cockily.

Buffy looks on helpless as the creature punches into the ground a few more times before it pulls up a coffin and then at a gesture from Willow places it on the ground in front of Buffy. She closes her eyes, partially surprised that she still can, and only hears the lid of the coffin being ripped off. She is not going to look, she is not going to look she keeps telling herself.

"Come on Buffy," Willow says trying to coax her. "Take a look at your precious finance's final fate." By the time Willow reached fiancé unmistakable venom had returned to her tone.

Buffy keeps her eyes shut while she debates internally what to do. She isn't sure she could bare to see Clark, assuming it is Clark and not some sick game of Willow's, she isn't sure she could bare to see his corpse.

Willow meanwhile is losing patience. "Buffy I can make you look you know," she says in what could be interpreted as a threat but in Willow's case is a statement of fact.

Buffy summons up her nerve. Willow will make her anyway. She might as well do this one thing out of her own free will. She opens her eyes...

A sob instantly escapes her lips. She can't help it. While the body is showing signs of decay it is still unmistakably Clark, dressed in that red and blue suit although the gold background to the shield is black for some reason. In the next instant Buffy finds herself able to move again and she falls to her knees as tears flow from her eyes. She senses Willow bend down next to her.

"You're asking yourself how," Willow surmises in what Buffy is thinking. "How did this happen? How did Clark die? Well if it is any consolation he died being the hero. You know that whole sacrificing himself to save the innocent masses bit." Willow's voice turns scornful "As if anyone is actually innocent."

Buffy could not care less for Willow's observations on the human race right now.

Willow continues. "Anyway that aside you've already met the instrument of Clark's fate."

Buffy turns her head and looks at Willow with tear filled eyes. Willow nods her head in the direction of the creature as an indication of what killed Clark.

"Doomsday," Willow says simply. "Because that is what it is. The Ultimate Destroyer. Able to adapt to any attack. Created for one purpose and one purpose only. To kill the Last Son of Krypton and destroy anything that got in its way which is exactly what it did. Now if I was being very generous I could say that Clark got his share of licks in because in his last act in this world he killed Doomsday," she explains.

Buffy takes a breath and tries to get some control over her emotions back. "There's more," she says quietly.

"What was that?" Willow asks having not quite caught what Buffy said.

"I said there's more. More to what you are saying," Buffy elaborates.

"Oh much much more. It is a long story and you can tell that by the fact that my pet here isn't still dead but I'll permit you a few minutes to grieve before we get into that. I'm not completely heartless you know."

"Oh I disagree with that last statement Willow. You are a heartless bitch." The word bitch said with particular venom by the unannounced new arrival.

A strange smile forms on Willow's face while Buffy tries to place that voice. She knows that voice. Both she and Willow get to their feet and turn round to face their surprise visitor. Buffy takes in the woman, taller than her by quite a few inches, dressed in badly worn jeans and faded green shirt with an equally faded blue jacket on top. It looks like something you cobble together after the world has ended which it may have from what Buffy has seen so far since her arrival here. Buffy takes in the shoulder length brown hair that has streaks of green in it and eyes that almost glow with an ethereal green. The face has what looks like the scar of a bad burn on the right side but despite that Buffy knows this woman. She knows she does.

The woman looks at Buffy and gives her a lopsided smile. "Hey sis."

Buffy's eyes widen in what should be recognition but when she speaks she can't help but phrase it as a question as to whether who she is seeing is who she thinks it is. "Dawn?"

* * *

_Author's Note: Sorry this update has taken awhile. At this time of year my real life is a lot busier so I don't have as much time to write. Thank you to all those who wrote reviews and I'll do my best to get the next chapter up as soon as I can._


	41. Part 3 Chapter 16: Future's Doomsday IV

Chapter 16: Future's Doomsday IV

Willow steps forward. "Well, well little Dawnie," she says in her most condescending manner. "Here for another butt kicking?" Willow queries. "I thought you would have learned your lesson the last time." Willow gestures at her own face indicating that she was the one who gave Dawn the scars.

Dawn does not reply directly to that. "I knew you had flipped Will but pulling Buffy out of time and endangering the integrity of the time-line..." she shakes her head in disbelief. "I never thought even you would go this far."

Willow grins manically. "Well you know what they say 'Nothing ventured. Nothing gained' and I have so much to gain."

"You're blinkered Willow. Do you have any idea what will happen if you succeed?"

"Yes. I will restore your sister to life," Willow says very calmly.

"No Will you won't. You won't allow yourself to see it but killing Clark will kill us all."

Willow dismisses Dawn's argument out of hand. "You know nothing. It is you that is blinkered. Your mind is constrained by your so-called morals and ethics. You are a fool Dawn. You have all this power but haven't learned the lesson of it."

"And what lesson is that?" Dawn asks.

"Good. Evil. Right. Wrong. They are meaningless concepts. Only power matters. The power to create and the power to destroy. The two fundamental forces of creation. My mind is free to see how these forces interact and I will use their power to restore all that was taken away from me. All that Clark took away from me."

Dawn's eyes narrow and the green in her eyes glow more intensely. "You so need to die," she tells Willow bluntly.

Willow chuckles. "Maybe but we both know that it won't be by your hand." Willow's face darkens and Buffy who has been standing, watching and listening to all this is shocked by what she sees. Ever since she got here and saw Willow for the first time she had been looking for some glimpse of the person she knew but in this moment what she sees is not her friend. It is a thing of pure darkness.

"My pet," Willow addresses Doomsday. "Kill her," she orders while pointing at Dawn.

Doomsday roars and leaps at Dawn who surprisingly remains still and calm. As Doomsday lands in front of Dawn a massive explosion consumes the area. The ground under Doomsday collapses, opening up into a chasm and Doomsday plummets down into the darkness. As the dust and smoke and fire clear still standing there, floating above the hole, totally unharmed but now with a self-satisfied smirk is Dawn.

At the sight Willow waves her hand in front of her projecting a band of energy to read the aura. "A projection," she says in disgust and anger as the projection of Dawn fades out of existence. Anger at herself for not recognising it earlier. She lets out a sigh and turns to Buffy except that Buffy is gone.

Rage wells up inside Willow. This whole thing was a ploy to distract her so they could snatch Buffy. Willow raises her arms in the air and black lightening shoots out of her fingertips into the sky. "Dawn!!!" she screams in outrage as as she does so the whole world seems to tremble in reaction. "I will find you!!! Do you hear me???!!! I will find you and this time you will die!!!" Willow shouts out her promise.

After her outburst it takes Willow several moments to calm herself. As she does so Doomsday leaps out of the hole and lands next to her. It dips its head slightly and Willow strokes its cheek in a comforting manner. "There. There. It's alright. You'll get to kill them soon enough. As well as the one you were created to destroy."

Willow conjures up a hand-held mirror and in it she sees the 5 time travellers of Clark, the Legion and her younger self as they are travelling through the time vortex. A smile of positive evil form son her face as with a chant and a wave of her hands she sends the 5 spinning off in different directions. Oh she'll kill them all eventually except for her younger self but why should she not have some fun with them first.

As she thinks it a portal opens near-by and out pops a certain red-haired witch. She saunters over as the arrival pulls herself to her feet. "Darling Willow," she says almost sultrily.

The younger Willow spins round and her eyes widen in horror at the sight in front of her. "Oh goddess," she utters in a horrified whisper.

* * *

Rokk finds himself crashing down in the middle of a street somewhere. When he gets to his feet and discovers he is all alone it doesn't take much deducing to figure out something has gone wrong. He reaches into his jacket pocket, pulls out his communicator and activates the homing signal so Imra and Garth can find him. That done he pulls out a scanner from his other pocket so he can get a fix on both his spatial and temporal location.

"What?" he can't help but mutter at the read-out. That can't be right. He ends up hitting the scanner and repeating the scan.

Imra and Garth soon fly in and land near him.

"Hey Rokk," Garth greets him. "What is going on?"

Rokk is still too bust with the scanner. Impossible.

"Rokk?" Imra queries after picking up his mental utterance of impossible.

He looks up at his team-mates and the holds up the scanner for them to read. Garth's face screws up in confusion as he grabs the scanner. "This can't be right."

"It is," Rokk assures him.

"But according to this we are about 22 years forward from where we were," Garth reads out what the scanner is saying.

"But that is not possible," Imra says with certainty. She then looks around at the ruined and deserted streets. "The world was never destroyed like this. If it were then..." she trails off as the realisation of what this means sinks in.

"Then we have no future to return to," Rokk finishes for Imra.

Garth meanwhile is hitting the scanner again. "Rokk this is picking up something. Some kind of energy."

Rokk takes the scanner back. "It is a quantum stability stasis field." This place suddenly makes sense to him. "This is a paradoxical time bubble. This whole world has been pulled out of the established time-line. The field holds the bubble in stasis protecting it from changes in the time-line."

Rokk shakes his head. No wonder they could never find the new leader of the human supremacist movement. This place is outside normal time. It allows whoever is responsible to make alterations while reducing the risk of erasing themselves. Still it is tricky to maintain and requires enormous amounts of power and the possibility of erasing themselves still exists.

Rokk widens the scan to find the source of the field. "The field is being generated somewhere north of us," he informs his friends. As he narrows it down his face frowns up in confusion.

Imra picks up Rokk's confusion. "Rokk. What is it?"

Rokk looks at Imra. "The co-ordinates of the source..." He holds the scanner for his friends to read. "It is Kal's Fortress of Solitude."

* * *

Clark finds himself exiting the vortex at some speed and he ends up crashing through some familiar looking while crystal columns. He lands on the floor in a quite ungainly fashion especially for someone who can fly. He picks himself up, dusts himself off, looks around and finds himself all alone. "Hello!" he calls out but gets no response. 'Great,' he thinks to himself. He guesses that something has gone wrong. This is why he hates magic. It is just so unpredictable.

Clark can tell instantly that he is in his Fortress so he heads for the central chamber but as he heads that way the white crystal columns start becoming black and ominous looking. What has happened here?

By the time he reaches the central chamber where the control crystal are kept everything is black. He turns round a corner to be greeted by a sight he did not expect at all. Sitting there is a figure with black crystals embedded throughout his body linking him to the Fortress.

"Hello Kal-El," the figure says.

Clark summons up a lot of venom for his response. "Brainiac."

* * *

Buffy is having a weird day. A really weird day and considering her life it takes a lot for her to consider things weird anymore. One moment she was there next to Darth Will who was exchanging words with her grown-up sister. The next the world goes all blurry like when Clark is using his superspeed and Buffy finds herself in what appears to be an underground base. The people around her are giving her strange looks. Then the door across the room opens and in walks Dawn.

"Hello Buffy," Dawn says to her sister.

Buffy runs over and wraps her sister in a bone crushing hug.

"Okay Buffy. Having a little trouble breathing," Dawn wheezes out.

Buffy releases her sister. "Oh sorry," she apologises.

Dawn coughs. "No. No. Who needs oxygen anyway," she quips.

Buffy's lips curl up into a smile.

"Welcome to the future. How are ya liking it so far?"

"Well to be truthful with you Dawn it kinda sucks. I mean Willow going all evil is one thing but what in the hell have you done to your hair?" Buffy asks trying to look stern as she gestures at the green streaks in Dawn's hair.

Dawn laughs.

"What is so darn funny?"

"It is just..." Dawn tries to get her laughter under control. "It is just that you are probably thinking it is dye but look around Buffy. The world ended. You really think I would waste time on dying my hair?"

Buffy frowns and looks harder at the green in Dawn's hair.

"It is all natural I assure you," Dawn tells her.

"But...um...how?"

Dawn sighs a little raises her hand in front of Buffy's eye and forms a ball of green energy in her hand. "Because I'm the Key silly."

"Still not following you Dawn."

"Do you remember what Illyria looked like?"

Buffy thinks back at when she first saw Illyria in the red armour and the blue streaks in her hair...oh that's what Dawn is on about.

Dawn can tell by Buffy's expression that she has cottoned on. "When the power of the key was fully awoken within me there were a few physical changes," she explains.

"Okay but can I get an explanation on what in the blue blazes of hell is going on around here?"

"You mean apart from Willow flipping her nut and destroying the world as you knew it?"

"Oh geez I would never have guessed that," Buffy says with lots of sarcasm. "She already basically admitted that but you know details would be nice."

"You better come and sit down. This may take awhile." Buffy follows Dawn into a small room where there are a couple of chairs. Buffy takes a seat while Dawn paces around a little bit. "Ok so to start I need to know exactly when Willow snatched you from."

"Ok. We were in Tokyo. You know retrieving the scythe."

"Ah. Yes I'm with you. That was about 22 years ago."

Buffy's eyes widen. "Wow. I mean I guessed from you being all grown up some time had passed but Will..."

"Yes I know. She doesn't look any older. It is probably best you don't know how she does that."

"Bad?" Buffy guesses.

"Yep."

Buffy lets it slide although she has a feeling she might know how Will has done it. "Ok so what the hell happened? How did Willow of all people go nuts and destroy the world?"

"How did it happen the first time Buffy?" Dawn asks her back.

The first time was when Tara died..."Oh. This is to do with Chloe isn't it."

Dawn nods and sits down with a sad sigh. "Not just her but yes. Chloe died."

"So did I didn't I?"

"She told you didn't she," Dawn assumes.

"She told me I died saving Clark but that was all."

Dawn nods once more. "Yeah. That wasn't the fun-est day ever," she says with some sadness as she thinks back on what happened from her point of view.

"How?" Buffy asks. "How does it happen?"

Dawn blows out a breath. "Long story. From your point of view soon you'll start to hear about a big bad making waves in the underworld. About a year from now from your perspective said big bad tries to take over the world."

"That's new. They usually just want to destroy it."

"This one wants to be worshipped like a god so destroying potential followers isn't a wise strategy."

"That seems like a lot of effort," Buffy remarks. "Why does it want to be worshipped like a god?"

"Simple. Because it is one."

* * *

"Don't you ever just die?" Clark asks Brainiac fairly annoyed really that this thing has somehow survived.

"Well technically speaking Kal-El I was never really alive," Brainiac replies.

Clark's mood turns from annoyance and anger to total confusion. That was a joke. "Since when do you have a sense of humour?"

"You seem to have forgotten Kal-El that you are in the future. My programming has evolved since we last met. If you take the first version of me you met as the original then I am Brainiac 4."

Ok that just adds a whole lot more confusion to the manner. Also "And how do you know that I am from the past?" Clark asks what he thinks is a pertinent question.

Brainiac glances up, the only real movement it can make, at the Fortress. "From here I can see the many threads of time. I also maintain this current time period as my mistress commands."

"Your mistress?" Clark asks with renewed confusion.

"Yes. The one who placed me here. Whose orders I obey without question."

"Who is this mistress?"

"The name is forbidden for me to speak. I assume my mistress did that to prevent someone such as yourself from learning it."

"Is your mistress the one who took Buffy?" Clark asks.

"Yes."

"And is attempting to manipulate the time-lines?"

"Yes."

"For what purpose?"

"Why your death of course Kal-El."

"Why does she want to kill me?"

"Why not? I still want to kill you and I would if I could but I can't move from here," Brainiac informs Clark while gesturing at the crystals embedded in his body that hold him in place.

Clark takes in Brainiac impaled by the crystals. "What did this mistress do to you and why?"

"She saw that I could aid her in her plans so she had me merged with the Fortress. All its power and technology is at her command for as long as I am...how should I phrase it...plugged in." Brainiac tilts its head and looks at something far away. "3 lifeforms are approaching. Your associates I believe." The Fortress hums as power is activated.

"What are you doing?" Clark asks recognising the sound.

"All intruders must be eliminated Kal-El. Your unique method of arrival bypassed the external defences. Your associates, however, will be destroyed."

In an instant Clark flies at Brainiac only to hit a forcefield of some kind and bounce back.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?" Brainiac asks him.

Clark picks himself off the ground. "I was kinda hoping yeah but if we must do this the hard way then we will." Clark's eyes light up as he unleashes his heat vision on the field which sparkles under the onslaught.

"Do you really think even you Kal-El can overcome technology created by your own race," Brainiac says dismissively.

"Lets find out," Clark comments as she turns up the heat so to speak and unleashes the full power of his heat vision. Something that is equivalent to a small nuclear bomb going off. Heat and light fill the chamber as the field starts to flicker. Then suddenly the field collapses. There is an explosion which sends Clark flying across the Fortress. The force is so great it knocks him out and his world becomes black.

* * *

Meanwhile back with the Summers sisters.

"What do you mean it is one?" Buffy asks incredulously.

"I mean that it is a real life god...well goddess to be exact."

Buffy hits her head on the table. "Not another Glory," she bemoans.

"Oh I wish. This one makes Glory seem like a picnic by comparison."

Buffy looks up at her now older sister. "I'm not going to like this am I?"

Dawn shakes her head. "Nope but maybe if I tell you then maybe you can prevent this nightmare of a world."

Buffy gathers herself. Yes that is a good point. If she learns enough then once they figure out a way to get her back to the past she can prevent all this. "Ok lay it on me."

"Well for starters Glory was a bounded God. What you will face is a full blown one and this one isn't a hell god."

"Then what is it?"

"A Kryptonian God."

Buffy's eyebrows rise up. "But...like how?"

"You'll have to ask Clark once you get back for the full details about it. He knows more on Kryptonian mythology than I do even after all these years. Suffice to say this one is not the nice one."

"There's a nice one?"

"What did Clark tell you about Kryptonian religion?"

"Not much except they called their god Rao."

Dawn nods. "Yes. Ok take this concept. Everything in the universe has an opposite. Light, dark. Good, evil. God and the Devil."

"Uh huh."

"Well if Rao is God then..."

Buffy's head is back hitting the table. She points at Dawn while her head remains on the table. "So you're telling me that in about a year I have to fight the Kryptonian devil. That about right?"

"Yep. Well you don't do it alone obviously. Clark was there and the slayers and Angel and ooh Oliver Queen and company. It was sort of a big alliance to save the world type thing."

Buffy lifts her head back up. "Do we win?"

"Yeah we do," Dawn says sadly which Buffy picks up on.

"Ok I don't detect that happy we saved the world vibe there."

"That's because that is the day you die Buffy. Chloe too and far too many others to mention."

Buffy blinks. That is the day she dies. "How?"

"Chloe...is kind of caught in the crossfire during the battle. You recklessly throw yourself in front of a goddess in an attempt to save Clark which you do but your wounds..." Dawn trails off not wanting to relive the day she lost her sister.

"Oh I see."

"Afterwards...Clark becomes angrier than I have ever seen him before or since and his rage gives him the power to defeat your murderer and that is when everything gets worse."

"Worse?" Buffy queries.

"Willow loses it. I mean seriously loses it but due to us dealing with our own grief none of us noticed. Not until it was almost too late. She was trying to raise you from the dead and then she was going to raise Chloe too. That much dark magic at one time..." Dawn shudders as she thinks about it.

"Willow said...she told me you locked her up."

Dawn nods. "We had to Buffy. Her mind...she had lost it. She had been consumed by dark magic so we bound her powers and imprisoned her. We treated her as well as you would expect but her mind was beyond repair by this point. There was no alternative short of killing her which in hindsight is what we should have done."

"Dawn!" Buffy yells appalled.

"What? Buffy you have no idea of the things she has done. The people she has killed. Now it is even worse. She is messing about with time trying to kill Clark. She can't succeed Buffy. The world is finished if she does."

"How exactly is the world finished?"

Dawn takes a breath. "Ok don't take this the wrong way. You are a great slayer but no-one but Clark has the power to defeat the goddess you will face. If Clark dies before that battle she will win and the world will fall before her."

"Doesn't Willow realise this?"

Dawn adopts a thinking gesture with her finger on her chin. "Oh um let me see here. Oh yes...Willow is nuts Buffy! All she cares about is saving you and Chloe and in her mind the only way that can happen is that Clark has to die before that battle so you don't end up sacrificing your life for him and Chloe...I guess she thinks Chloe was only there because Clark was. It doesn't even occur to her what the consequences of her actions will be. In her mind saving you and Chloe will somehow make everything alright."

Buffy sits in silence for a moment as she takes all this in. She hates to admit it but Dawn's assessment may be spot on. Willow may indeed now be totally insane. "Ok so if we win I have one question. How exactly did the world end up like this?" she asks. She just has to know.

"In a word. Doomsday."

Buffy can't help but note, with some trepidation she might add, that ever since she arrived here that that word seems to keep coming up.

* * *

Clark wakes up to the feel of someone gently rocking him. He opens his eyes to find Rokk standing over him with a look of concern.

"Kal. Are you alright?" Rokk asks. When he had found Kal unconscious Rokk had been deeply concerned for a moment. Without Kal there is definitely no future for them to return to.

Clark gets back to his feet and checks himself over. He feels alright. "I'm fine," he tells Rokk.

The two of them head back to the central chamber where Garth and Imra are. In the blackened chamber Clark finds the remains of Brainiac. The top half of his body had been blown clean off leaving only the bottom half of the torso and the legs. Garth and Imra are examining it.

"What happened here?" Rokk asks Clark who gives his friend from the 31st century the summary. In return Rokk tells Clark all he had discovered about where and when they were.

"So Brainiac was maintaining this bubble?" Clark asks for confirmation.

"That would be my guess," Rokk answers as he fishes out his scanner. He frowns. "It's still there," he says as he walks over to a black crystal column and scans it. "The Fortress is still active. Most likely running on some back-up protocol. It is still maintaining the static field."

"Rokk," Imra calls out. Clark and Rokk make their over to her.

"What is it Im?" Rokk asks her.

"I think we can salvage Brainiac," she tells him from her survey of the remains.

"Is that wise?" Clark asks her.

"We can reprogram him," Garth adds. "Make him on our side. There is enough of him left that he will still retain his memories. Once reprogrammed he can tell us everything we need to know."

Rokk can see that Kal is still unsure. He places his hand on Kal's shoulder. "Kal. We were separated upon our arrival, perhaps deliberately, and more important without Willow finding Buffy will be difficult. Brainiac may know where she is and more importantly we may find out who this mistress is you said he mentioned. We are low on information about what is going on and if this mistress is the enemy we all seek then I would like to confront her with as much information as possible."

The Clark of 18 months ago would have just zipped off without a thought but he is a different person now and flying head long into battle against some unknown foe would not be wise so that leaves only once choice to make. "Alright. What can I do to help?"

"We'll need your help with the language of Brainiac's coding. None of us are as fluent in Kryptonian as you," Imra informs him and with that the 4 of them get to work on trying to reactivate Brainiac.

* * *

"What is it with this Doomsday?" Buffy asks her sister.

"It is the Ultimate Destroyer," Dawn answers.

"Yeah, yeah. Will already said that along with showing me Clark's body which let me tell you isn't the nicest sight I have ever seen."

"I'm sorry about that," Dawn apologises with regret. "I tried to get to you before she did that. I even tried to pull you out of the vortex before you reached California."

"It was you that dumped me in a puddle of filthy water!" Buffy exclaims. It also clears up why she didn't just appear in Willow's home.

Dawn nods. "Yeah. Sorry about that too and the fact we couldn't reach you before she sent her pet after you. I wasn't sure where you fell out of the vortex and by the time I located you it was too late."

Buffy shakes her head to clear it. Right she needs to focus on what is important. "Ok so clear this up. What is that...that thing?"

"What were Brainiac's last words before Clark killed him?" Dawn asks Buffy.

Buffy takes a moment to remember. "Something about getting its revenge on him even if it took years."

"12 years to be exact. Doomsday is Brainiac's creation. Back in your time as we speak it is gestating in some lab Brainiac set up in the 6 months between when he recreated himself and you destroyed him. Well you didn't really destroy him. Not completely."

"What does that mean?" Buffy asks at that last part.

"Brainiac tends to leave pieces of himself behind. Trust me Clark faced him at least a couple more times before Doomsday appeared."

Buffy is getting a headache. "Ok lets skip Brainiac for now and concentrate on Doomsday. What happened?"

"Well eventually it finished gestating and as it was programmed to do it set out to kill all life, particularly Clark. There was this big battle...I'll skip the details. Anyway it ended with Clark and Doomsday killing each other. Clark was given this big state funeral and buried where you saw. He was a big hero by this time beloved by the whole world so it was only fitting."

A small smile comes to Buffy at the fact that Clark will become the big hero she always knew he was.

Dawn takes a breath. "That's when the crap really hit the fan. During all this when we were distracted Willow escaped. She restored her powers and then she resurrected Doomsday. Her powers combined with Doomsday...well nothing could stand up to that. Those that tried were killed or if they were magical Willow sucked them dry. In fact she had Doomsday hunt down every magical being on the planet so she could steal their power. That's how she is so powerful in case you were wondering. In the face of that it is a struggle to even maintain the charms that keep us hidden here."

Buffy can see the sadness, the weariness creeping into Dawn's eyes as she speaks. "Was Willow really the one that gave you the scar?"

Dawn's hand reaches up and she feels it under her fingers. "Yeah. It was during the big showdown when we gave it one last go at stopping her. That was when Faith died. And Satsu, Kennedy, Grace, Angel, Cordy, even Illyria...and a thousand more I could mention. The governments sent in their armies but...Doomsday is unstoppable. If it has the power to kill Clark I think that is rather obvious."

Buffy reaches over and takes Dawn's other hand into her own and squeezes it. Dawn manages a little smile. "I managed to survive," she continues to tell the story. "I rounded up as many other survivors as I could and we have been managing to just get by ever since as Willow laid waste to the world."

"But why? If she can't be hurt why bother with all that destruction?"

Dawn shrugs. "Apart from the aforementioned insanity it depends on her mood. Sometimes she does it because she is bored. Sometimes it is because she is having a temper tantrum. She destroyed Metropolis because it was her time of the month and she was cranky."

Buffy takes a moment. This is a lot to take in. "So what now?"

"Not sure. I hadn't gotten past the rescuing you stage of the plan. I mean I can't even send you back to your own time because Willow would detect that much magic and stop me. I..." Dawn trails off. When she speaks again her voice is much quieter. "Willow has to die Buffy. There is no other way."

Before Buffy can respond to that there is a knock on the door.

"You can come in Bruce," Dawn responds.

The door opens and a tall man with blue eyes and black hair, although it is slightly greying hair, enters. "How did you know it was me?" he asks Dawn.

"You have an identifiable knock," she tells him before she makes some introductions. "Buffy meet Bruce Wayne. Bruce meet my sister Buffy although I think you met her before she died didn't you."

"Briefly," Bruce answers. "It is however a pleasure to see you again," he tells Buffy laying on the charm.

Dawn rolls her eyes. "The world ends and you still flirt with anything female."

"Jealous?" Bruce asks with an amused glint in his eyes.

Dawn snorts. "In your dreams Bruce. Only in your dreams. Now why are you here?"

"The scouting team is back," he informs her. They send out teams to search for food and other supplies.

"Wait," Buffy says interrupting them. "Bruce Wayne? The millionaire?" she queries.

"That was some time ago but from your perspective then yes," Bruce tells her.

Buffy looks at her sister for some explanation. Dawn shrugs. "The world ended. You'd be surprised at what type of people can survive that."

Ok Buffy is going to move that aside for the moment. "I still have a question. How did I get here? I mean one minute I was standing next to Will, the world goes blurry and then I find myself standing in a room amongst a whole bunch of strangers."

"Oh that. Well I couldn't use magic or Willow may have traced it so I had to use another method," Dawn explains.

"What other method?" Buffy asks.

Before Dawn can answer it a new person appears in the doorway. A tall young and fairly voluptuous woman with shoulder length blond hair and these blue eyes that look so like Clark's it is spooky. In fact she even has the exact same dimples in her cheeks yet her face looks oddly familiar to Buffy. It vaguely reminds her of her own.

Dawn stands up and moves over next to the woman. "I thought I said you weren't to meet her. You were just to drop her off and leave so she never saw you," Dawn says sternly, telling the woman off like she is a child.

"I know auntie Dawn but I couldn't help it," the woman says apologetically. "You know I can't remember what she looked like."

'Auntie Dawn!?' Buffy thinks to herself with some surprise and...shock. Yep. Definitely shock.

Dawn shakes her head and lets out a resigned sigh. "Well the damage is done. May as well get this over with. Buffy say hello to Karen Summers-Kent. Karen say hello to your mother."

Karen's movement is a blur as she engulfs Buffy in a bone-crushing hug. "Mom. It is so good to see you," she says with a great deal of emotion in her voice as one would expect from a child being reunited with the parent they had lost a long time ago.

Buffy can only utter one word in response in total confusion and shock. "Mom?!"

* * *

_Author's Note: And the revelations for Buffy just keep on coming don't they. I am getting closer to bringing this to a head. I mean I have the whole gang at least in the same time period now and hey I even threw in Batman for you. Thanks to all those who wrote reviews._


	42. Part 3 Chapter 17: Future's Doomsday V

Chapter 17: Future's Doomsday V

"So you going to just sit there or are you going to say something?" Willow asks her younger self. They had moved into a nearby building which Willow had spruced up with a quick spell or two. Doomsday was outside on guard.

The younger Willow just looks at her older counterpart and thinks back in horror at what she was like last time she looked like that. Of course now certain things make sense. Why she could tap into the thoughts of the mysterious person. She could do it because they were her thoughts. That was why the voice sounded like her own because it was her own voice. "How could you? How could we?" she has to ask.

"How could we what? Turn back to the dark side?" The younger Willow nods. "You see it was like I was trying to explain to Dawn just before you showed up. It isn't about good or evil. Those are concepts created by small beings with small minds. Power is the only thing that matters." Willow looks at her younger self's reaction. "You don't agree do you?"

The younger Willow shakes her head.

Willow sighs. "Oh how disappointing. I had forgotten when I was your age how I denied my...denied our true nature." Willow gestures at herself. "This is our true nature Willow. You can fight it all you want. Deny it all you want but deep down you know it is true."

"No," the younger Willow whispers out in denial. She won't believe that despite the evidence in front of her eyes.

"Oh yes it is. You think that by coming here you are what? Saving Buffy? Saving Clark? Saving the world?" Willow chuckles darkly. "You're wrong. By coming here. By bringing Clark here you have ensured his death but if it is any consolation his death will save Buffy's and more importantly save Chloe's." Willow sees a spark in her younger self's eyes at the mention of Chloe. "Tell me you wouldn't do anything to save Chloe," Willow dares her younger self.

The younger Willow wants to say that there are things she wouldn't do but the words won't leave her lips.

Willow smiles triumphantly in her rightness. "You see. Our true nature is inside you yearning to be let free." Willow bends down next to her younger self and strokes her cheek. "I can help you save Chloe. All you have to do is let me awaken your true self."

The younger Willow is struggling within herself. She knows how deceptive and manipulative she can be when she is like this version of her but goddess she can't bear the thought of losing Chloe like she lost Tara.

Willow takes the fact her younger self says nothing in response as approval to do what she proposed. She moves forward slowly and presses her lips to her younger self's lips. The younger Willow's eyes widen in total shock at the fact she is kissing herself. It is then she feels it slipping inside her. Magic. Dark magic with all its seductive nature. She can feel her body tingle as the magic starts to spread to every cell in her body and as it does so she can feel that side of her she buried long ago when Xander stopped her begin to wake up.

* * *

"Mom?!" Buffy repeats.

"Yep," Dawn confirms for her.

"Mom?!" Buffy says again.

"Yes as in you gave birth to a little girl." Dawn shakes her head. "What a day that was let me tell you. I'm amazed any of us survived it. You were pretty cranky but then again Karen was a pretty big baby so you can probably be excused."

"Mom?!" Buffy has to say again before she snaps out of her loop. "How big?" she asks.

"Oh Karen was a nine pounder," Dawn tell her sister.

Buffy's eyes nearly bug of her head but that could be due to the iron grip that her 'daughter' has on her. Sheesh is this what people feel like when she squeezes them too hard.

Dawn places her hand on her niece's shoulder. "Karen. You're squeezing the life out of your mother and considering she hasn't given birth to you yet that would be bad."

Karen lets go looking a tad embarrassed. "Sorry. I got carried away."

"Uh huh. Look this is a shock for Buffy. Go help sort through what the scouting party brought back and give me 10 minutes to bring your mother back to reality."

"Ok auntie Dawn," Karen says obediently. After all her aunt had raised her after she lost her father.

"Bruce you too. I need some alone time with my sister," Dawn instructs him.

Bruce gives a small nod an follows Karen out the door shutting it behind him.

Buffy just stares blankly at the door after her daughter leaves. "Mom?!" she has to say again.

Dawn rolls her eyes. She moves forward and slaps her sister across the face before she slips back into that loop. "Buffy. Snap out of it!"

Buffy looks at her sister. "But...but...mom?!"

Dawn can feel a headache coming. "Buffy really get over it. Ok. Yes that is your daughter. Her name is Karen."

"Karen?!" Buffy moves on to. "I would never name my daughter Karen," she says with certainty.

"Yeah. You and Clark couldn't agree on a name," Dawn tells her.

"So what? We randomly chose one out of a book or something?"

Dawn shrugs. "Pretty much exactly yeah."

Buffy looks at Dawn with an expression that says 'you can't be serious'.

"Buffy. That is exactly how it happened," Dawn assures her.

Buffy sits back down. "Ok. Ok. Let me get a few facts straight here. That girl is my daughter."

"Right."

"But I die in a year you said."

"You do."

Buffy holds her hands up totally confused. "You see that doesn't make any sense."

Dawn tries to explain "Lets see now. A pregnancy lasts 9 months so that gives you 3 months lee time."

"A human pregnancy lasts 9 months," Buffy corrects. It wasn't difficult to figure out who the father was. With those eyes it had to be Clark.

"Well in fact you might already be pregnant," Dawn tells her and in response Buffy's hands cover her stomach protectively. "We never did work out the exact timing of conception."

Buffy shakes her head in denial. "Nu uh. No way Dawnie. I ain't that stupid not to be using birth control."

"That's what you said when you found out in the original time-line," Dawn points out. "That and screaming at Clark that it was all his fault. His and his 'super-sperm'," she says using air-quotes.

Buffy makes a face. That is kinda graphic even for her.

"Funny thing is that you probably weren't wrong."

"What?"

"Every part of Clark is super," Dawn tries to explain. "He absorbs sunlight into every cell of his body. Our best guess as to how you ended up pregnant was that there is something in Kryptonian physiology that counters the birth control methods you are on."

"Ok but still...Me human. Him alien," she says in a Tarzan impression. She is trying to get at that they are two separate species and therefore not compatible.

Dawn shrugs. "What do you want me to say Buffy? I can't explain it. Clark could never explain it. It just happened but if you want my best guess it is probably something to do with the mystical nature of the power of the Slayer. Sure even then the odds against it were probably millions to 1 but heck when did the odds ever mean anything to you." Dawn moves over to her sister. "Now regardless of how it happened out there is a girl who lost her mother when she was a baby and is desperate to bond with you in a way she missed out on growing up."

"What do you mean missed out? Didn't Clark find someone else? You know I would not begrudge him being happy."

"I know that but come on he was a single-parent/superhero. Doesn't leave a whole lot of time for dating...unless you count that 5 month fling with Faith."

"What 5 month fling?!" Buffy demands to know, her jealously creeping up on her without warning.

"Oops. Probably shouldn't have mentioned that. I forgot you had issues with Faith around boyfriends. Forget I said anything."

"Dawn," Buffy says insistently.

Dawn lets out a sigh. "What do you want me to say Buffy? He was depressed and lonely and as much as it may surprise you to hear this Faith was very supportive after you died."

"Oh I bet she was," Buffy says with some anger.

"Buffy it only lasted 5 months. Clark realised that he had fallen into it for the wrong reasons and ended it. Give him a break. You died. He was in grief. Hell he even changed that shield of his to have a black background as a memorial to you."

Buffy blinks at this. "He did?"

Dawn nods.

That explains it. That explains why his shield was black when she saw his body earlier. Wait a second that makes her realise something else. "How old was Karen when Clark died?"

"About 11," Dawn answers. "I've been raising her ever since."

"How old is she now?"

"21."

"You mean the world...it has been like this..."

"For getting on for a decade. Yep."

Buffy sits in silence for a moment. "What is she like?"

"Why don't you go out there and find out for yourself," Dawn suggests to her sister.

Buffy stands up. "Alright I will...but couldn't you give me a little something to go on?" Buffy looks at her sister pleadingly. "Please."

"Karen is...she is basically this perfect merger of you and Clark. If the world hadn't been destroyed I could see her trailing the malls as we speak and being perfectly content. Equally she has Clark's laid-back down-to-earth attitude to everything which makes no sense but Karen pulls it off somehow. She has his powers and your temper which is a frightening thought if you really think about it."

"Why? I don't have a temper."

Dawn rolls her eyes. "Sure you don't Buffy," she says insincerely. "Have you ever seen yourself when you're pissed. It is scary and you can't bench press mountains."

"She can do that?!"

"Well no. Not yet anyway but I'm pretty certain she could in a few years."

"Why in a few years?"

"It's a Kryptonian trait. The longer they live under a yellow sun absorbing its energy the stronger they become. Even the Clark I knew before he died hadn't reached his physical peak yet as far as anyone could ascertain and he was 12 years older than the one you know." Dawn takes Buffy's arms and pulls her to her feet. "Now lets stop all the chit-chat. Go out there and bond."

Buffy lets Dawn pull her out the door where she spots her daughter helping a group of people sort through some items. It is when one stands up straight from picking something up from the ground that a stirring of recognition hits her. She makes her way over and touches the guy on the shoulder. He turns around. "Oz?"

* * *

"We're ready to try and reinitialise the start-up protocols," Imra announces.

Clark double checks the read-out from the scanner that they had converted into a access terminal to Brainiac's programming. "I agree," he says.

"Alright. Proceed," Rokk decides.

Clark inputs the commands and the remains of Brainiac flow to the ground like a liquid before they start to reorganise themselves into a new figure. Due to how much of Brainiac was vaporised the figure would be no bigger than an adolescent until they could procure new material for Brainiac to absorb. A humanoid figure takes shape. The appearance of skin starts to form but unlike Brainiac's previous forms the skin this time is green wearing a purple uniform and the hair is yellow. As the features of the face form 3 circles appear on the forehead. When the eyes open they are pupil-less and pink in colour. The new Brainiac speaks. "Greetings. I am Brainiac 5. How may I be of assistance?" it asks politely and formally.

Clark quirks an eyebrow and looks at his 3 friends. This wasn't quite what they were aiming at. Guess this is what they get for rushing.

Garth shrugs. "Oh well. It wasn't bad for a first attempt," he remarks.

"Garth," Rokk tells him off. He sighs. "This will just have to do." He addresses Brainiac. What is your current status?" he asks it.

"One moment. All systems are functioning within established parameters," it reports.

"Status of memory?"

"There is a 8% fragmentation of my memory files. It might be possible to retrieve memories using a fractal sorting code. Such a task would require 37.4 hours to complete."

"37.4 hours we don't have," Garth points out.

"Do you know who I am?" Clark asks Brainiac testing its memory.

"Yes. You are Kal-El. Son of Jor-El and Lara. Last survivor of the planet Krypton where I was created."

"Do you remember what happened here before you were reactivated?"

"Yes. I allowed the shield to collapse so you would destroy me."

"What?" Clark asks totally taken aback by that answer.

"I had grown tired of being nothing but a slave to my mistress and I saw you as the means to bring my existence to an end. It was why I brought you here when my mistress intended for you to land somewhere else," Brainiac explains rationally of what was a betrayal of its mistress. "I did not anticipate you being able to reactivate me," it adds.

Well that is not what Clark expected to hear.

"Who is this mistress?" Rokk asks wanting them to stay on track.

"That information is not available. It is amongst my fragmented memory files."

"Do you know anything about a person by the name of Buffy Summers?" Clark asks.

"Yes. My mistress brought her here at an earlier time but her travel through the vortex was disrupted by the rebels."

"Rebels?" Imra queries.

"Those who rebel against the mistress," Brainiac explains.

"Do you know where Buffy is?" Clark asks hopeful that they find Buffy soon.

"Not precisely no. Her most likely location is Metropolis. It is where the rebels maintain a hidden base."

Well that is a place to start. Clark can search a single city in no time relatively speaking.

Rokk needs to ask something else. "The quantum stasis field your mistress is using to protect herself. How do we disrupt it?"

"Destroy the Fortress," Brainiac replies simply.

"Explain," Rokk orders needing more information.

"After Kal-El's death the mistress took control of this Fortress as its power could be used to aid her in her plans. I was placed here to control it otherwise my mistress would have to dedicate a not insubstantial amount of her power and concentration to maintaining the field herself."

"So destroying this Fortress will weaken her," Rokk surmises.

"Correct."

Rokk looks at Kal and can see some hesitation at that idea. He places his hand on Kal's shoulder. "Kal I know this is all you have left of your home but if we succeed this time-line will cease to exist and your Fortress will be as you left it upon out return to your time."

Clark nods. "Ok. You better get out of here. I don't want you hurt."

"Very well," Rokk says while he signals to Imra and Garth that they have to depart. "Brainiac 5. You will come with us as well."

"As you wish. I am programmed to obey your commands Cosmic Boy."

Clark gives them a few moments to get clear...wait a second did Brainiac say he died? He did say that. That is...something Clark can think of later. He has more important stuff to deal with right now. Clark can see that the others are now outside so he slams his fist into one of the key columns that supports the Fortress. It shatters. He moves onto the next one and then the next, shattering each in turn. Crystal columns start to collapse all around him.

Outside in the Arctic cold Imra, Garth, Rokk and Brainiac 5 look on as the grand structure, the monument to Krypton collapses into the snow and ice. Suddenly Kal is standing next to them as energy crackles around the remains of the Fortress.

"Field generation has ceased," Brainiac 5 reports.

"Good," Rokk comments. "You alright Kal?"

"I'm fine. Lets just go to Metropolis, find Buffy and then kick this mistress' butt. I want to go home."

"I hear you Kal," Garth says in eager agreement. He then holds up a hand and lets lighting play across his fingers. "Lets show this mistress what happens when she crosses the Legion."

* * *

Back in Metropolis Willow feels glorious as her older self pours all this dark energy inside her but then just as suddenly it is gone and she feels empty. She is also gasping for breath as her eyes open and she sees her older self staggering backwards.

"NO!!!" the older Willow screams. "What have you done??!!" She paces frantically back and forth muttering incomprehensibly in a few dozen languages.

The younger Willow doesn't know who they are that her older self is muttering about. At the moment she is more concerned with what she almost allowed to happen. Goddess. Is she so weak that she would just welcome darkness back into her soul like that?

The older Willow suddenly locks eyes with her. It sends a shiver up Willow's spine. "Plans have changed Willow. Someone has betrayed me. They'll be coming soon and then we'll have us a good old-fashioned but terribly clichéd showdown. Need to get some help. Their treachery has weakened me." Most of her power has been diverted to maintaining this bubble of time. There is no way she can fight against all those she knows will be coming for her. She has much to do and little time. "Doomsday!" she calls out and it obeys by smashing through the wall and entering the building. She points at her younger self. "Guard her," she commands.

"Willow," she says to get her younger self' attention. "Do not even attempt to leave. My pet won't hurt you but it will incapacitate you should you try anything. I shall return soon." With that she teleports away since haste is more important than conserving her power right now.

* * *

"Oz!" Buffy says cheerfully before she pulls her old friend into a hug.

Oz just stands there very confused. Or is that perplexed. Miffed maybe. "Dawn. Why is Buffy hugging me? Did she come back from the dead again?"

Dawn laughs. "No Oz. She is from the past. Willow's doing," she explains.

"Ok then," he says in his usual stoic fashion.

Buffy pulls back to look at how Oz has aged. "You're still looking good Oz," she compliments him.

"Um thanks. So welcome to the future I guess," he says as a form of greeting.

Buffy lightly snorts. "Yeah well all things considered I would rather be in Vegas."

"Who wouldn't," Oz says in all seriousness. "Except Willow trashed it about 6 years ago."

Well that just deflated all Buffy's cheerfulness right there. She turns her head slightly to see her daughter looking at her surprisingly shyly for someone with Summers' blood running through her veins. Buffy walks over to her. "Hey...Karen. So...um...do you want to do something...together?"

Karen's face lights up joyfully. "Really?" Buffy nods and the next second she finds herself in another bone-crushing hug. "This is going to be great mom!" Karen says happily. "Dad and aunt Dawn have told me so many stories and you know I always wished we could meet and...and now here you are and..." she pulls back and looks herself over, "oh god I probably look a mess don't I. I finally get to meet you and I look like a poster-girl for 'After the Apocalypse' fashions." Her hands go to her hair and start to sort it out. "God I haven't even brushed my hair today."

Buffy just looks at her rather wide-eyed as Karen does this near award winning babble while Dawn bursts out into a giggle. "See Buffy. Totally your daughter."

Buffy reaches up to Karen's shoulders. "Easy. Take a breath," she tells Karen.

Karen looks at her mom funny. "Mom. I take after dad. I can hold my breath for like 2 hours easy."

"Which means she can also babble for 2 hours easy," Dawn says as a little teasing dig at her niece.

"Auntie Dawn!" Karen whines. "Do you have to embarrass me in front of mom?"

Dawn grins mischievously. "Why yes. Yes I do."

Karen rolls her eyes and swears she will get back at her aunt later. "So mom what do you want to do but first I just have to fix me hair."

"Um well how about you show me your room and I'll help you with your hair."

Karen smiles widely. "Ok. That sounds great."

Karen leads Buffy off. "Um one question though. How the heck are you so damn tall?" Buffy asks as she looks up at her daughter who almost towers over her.

Karen laughs. "Mom. You do remember how tall dad is right?"

Buffy smiles. "Yes I do. He's a freakin giant!"

That causes the two of to laugh loudly as they head off down a corridor. Dawn watches them go with a smile on he face. She knew they would get on if they met even if she didn't want them to meet because she hadn't been sure how Buffy would take it and if that knowledge might have ended up accidentally preventing Karen's conception. Dawn really hopes not. It then she suddenly feels incredibly dizzy and in fact is about to fall over until someone catches her. Dawn looks up and sees it is Bruce who leads her over to a chair.

"Dawn. Are you alright?" he asks her.

Dawn shakes her head as she tries to work out what has happened. Something has changed. The balance of the world has shifted. She can feel it. She is the Key after all and she has a connection to the world, to all worlds, across the dimensions. "Willow..." she whispers.

Bruce looks at Dawn curiously. "What is it Dawn? What about her?"

"She's weaker. I can feel it. Her power has been siphoned off. I...I need to meditate. I don't think she can block my vision anymore."

Bruce helps Dawn to her room so she can meditate. Dawn closes her eyes and reaches out. She can sense...she can sense...two Willows? But this one is different...she is younger. Oh no! They didn't. They didn't come here after Buffy because if they did that means they brought Clark and that means the future is in grave danger. Dawn stretches out her senses further. Where is he? Oh there he is.

Clark, Brainiac 5 and the Legion are just nearing Metropolis when in front of them an apparition appears. One that looks kinda familiar. All 5 stop in mid-air as it solidifies.

"Hey Clark," the figure's voice says cheerily.

Clark knows that voice. "Dawn?"

"The one and only and ooh you brought friends I see."

Clark looks at them. "Yeah. These are the Legion from the 31st century and that is...well that is Brainiac."

The image of Dawn frowns. "You do know he is Willow's slave right."

"Willow!" Clark exclaims in total surprise.

"Ok I'm guessing from your reaction that you didn't know that. What do you know...no wait don't answer that. Look just follow me and we'll talk in person. The longer I'm doing this the more chance Willow will pick it up. Just one proviso though. Is Brainiac still under Willow's control?"

Brainiac 5 answers it. "I am not. My programming has been altered so that I aid Kal-El and the Legion in their mission."

"Yeah well forgive me if I don't take your word for that," Dawn says somewhat sceptically.

"You are forgiven Dawn Summers. It is understandable," Brainiac tells her with sympathy to her position.

Dawn shakes her head. "Come on just follow me. We'll sort this out when you get here but if Brainiac turns out to be evil I will kick your sorry butt Clark Kent," she threatens. Then with a huff and a flick of her hair the image turns round and flies off with Clark and co in pursuit.

They land outside a derelict building and follow Dawn inside, down into the basement and through a door only to find numerous people pointing weapons at them. Dawn, the real Dawn steps forward.

"Nice greeting there Dawn," Clark says less than taken with the welcoming committee.

"Yes well if you had lived through what we have had to you would understand. Now don't move. This will only take a minute."

Before Clark can ask what will take a minute a green glow forms around Dawn before spreading out to encompass him, Brainiac and the Legion. Then a minute later it fades away.

"Lower your weapons," she instructs the others. "They're ok." Dawn had used her powers to feel out what was in their hearts and confirm they are you they appear to be and that even worked on Brainiac which was a bit odd. Dawn address them. "I'm guessing you want to know what is going on."

"Well that would be nice," Clark says.

Dawn waves them to follow her. "Come on. We'll go find a seat and have a chat. This may take awhile and oh Clark..."

"Yes."

"I have a couple of surprises for you," she says with a little smirk.

"A couple of...?" Realisation dawns on him. "Buffy. Is she here?"

"Yeah she is. I'll have someone fetch her."

Pure relief floods through Clark's being but he won't believe it until he can hold Buffy in his arms. They reach a large central room in the underground complex.

"Welcome to the rebellion," Dawn says as she gestures around. "Now Buffy should be here in a minute then we can get down to buis...." she is cut off by a loud shout.

"Dad!!!"

Clark turns round just as a tall young woman with blond hair runs at him in superspeed he might add and almost crushes him in a hug leaving him floundering as to what to do in response. To his relief Buffy is rapidly moving across the room. She has this knowing smile on her face.

"Hey Clark!" she says with a strange nonchalance considering the situation they are in.

"Um hi Buffy. A little help please," he asks in reference to the woman who is almost literally crushing him. It feels like she is Kryptonian strong.

Buffy chuckles. "Now Clark don't be like that. After all she is our daughter."

"She's our what!!!" he yells out in shock sure he must have misheard that.

Buffy places her hand on Karen's shoulder and pulls her back a bit. "Clark says hello to Karen Summers-Kent."

Clark just stares blankly at her for a few moments. Oh god she has his eyes and Buffy's mouth. This is just...unbelievable. He tentatively raises his hand to her cheek. "Our daughter?"

"Yep."

An enormous smile comes to Clark's face before he pulls both Karen and Buffy into his arms. Oh god. He has always wanted a family and now it seems he is going to have one. He can't even begin to describe how happy that makes him. Dawn watches the little family group hug with her own little smile. It is so nice to see them reunited like this.

What no-one notices is the shared looks between the 3 members of the Legion. A look that reflects a terrible truth. As far as they know Kal never had any children with Buffy Summers which means that this girl is a paradox. She shouldn't exist. Now the only question is is her appearance due to how much this time-line has been messed up with or are they wrong in what they know about history. As they look at Kal and how happy he is all 3 hope it is the second one because if it is not then once they fix the time-line his daughter will no longer exist. In fact to be accurate she will never have existed and all 3 can guess how Kal will take that. It will pretty much destroy him.

* * *

_Author's Note: A few people asked why I chose Karen for Clark and Buffy's daughter's name and the reason is that it is the closest human equivalent to Kara who I am not sure if I will ever bring into this. So for now you can consider Karen Supergirl. As for the story I have now brought Clark and Buffy back together along with Dawn and all her fellow survivors. Willow is off gathering her own helpers and therefore the next chapter should include the showdown I have been building too. Thank you to all those who wrote reviews._


	43. Part 3 Chapter 18: Future's Doomsday VI

Chapter 18: Future's Doomsday VI

So finally they are all back together and Clark listens carefully as he is caught up on everything. As they are all caught up on everything each other knows. "Kryptonian devil?" he queries with a frown. He isn't sure what they mean unless they mean "Cythonna."

"You know who she is?" Buffy asks him.

"I know the stories," he replies. During his training where a lot of Krypton's history was basically downloaded into his brain his father covered Kryptonian mythology. "Long ago Rao and his rival Cythonna created two worlds and filled them with their own two creations. Rao created Krypton and the Kryptonian race. Cythonna created its twin planet Cython. The people there were called Cythonnans."

Dawn blinks. She had known Clark longer. She had survived that battle but she didn't know that. "You never mentioned a twin planet," she points out.

Clark shrugs, unable to give her an explanation. "It isn't there anymore. It was destroyed long ago, long before Krypton's own end. It was destroyed in the Wars of Fire and Ice between the two planets and between Rao and Cythonna. She supposedly died when the planet was destroyed."

"Well she didn't," Dawn tells him. "A year from your now from your point of view she will rise and proclaim her dominion over the world."

Clark looks at Buffy sitting beside him. "And Buffy dies. You said already." His heart had pinched painfully at that as well as at the point Dawn said that Chloe died too. He places his arm around her instinctually and Buffy leans into him.

Clark listens on more as Dawn reiterates how Willow's mental state deteriorated to the point they had to lock her up, how many years passed by until she chose her moment to escape and of what she did afterwards.

"Doomsday?" Rokk asks with great concern. "That...that thing is still alive." He, like all the Legion know of Doomsday and of its part in history. You can't simply miss out the creature that kills Superman.

"You know what it is?" Clark asks his 3 friends from the future.

"Ask Brainiac," Dawn tells them. "It created Doomsday."

All eyes turn to the green skinned mechanical representation. "I did but if you think I can control it or stop it then I must inform you that I cannot. Mistress Willow's control over it is absolute."

"What is it?" Clark asks Brainiac.

"I created it to fulfil an ancient Kryptonian myth of the Ultimate Destroyer of life. I blended genetic samples from all of Krypton's most powerful and dangerous lifeforms and fused them into one single being. It required a fairly substantial gestation period of many Earth years before it matured fully so I created a chamber deep underground to house it until it was ready. Upon waking it fulfilled its purpose until Kal-El stopped it. The effort of doing so killing him in the process."

Clark isn't sure how he quite takes the news that he dies...again. Well at least he goes out saving people.

"Where is this chamber?" Buffy asks thinking that if they know then upon their return to their own time they can destroy it long before it gets a chance to kill Clark.

"That information is not available. It is contained amongst my fragmented memory files," Brainiac replies in a simple factual manner.

Well that is just not handy at all Buffy muses to herself.

"We're getting away from the what we need to do now," Dawn announces trying to get this meeting back on track. "What we need to do is incapacitate Willow long enough for me to send you all back where you should be. Despite her being weakened she is still able to stop any attempt I make at doing that."

"And we need to get back our Will too," Buffy points out.

"That means going through Doomsday," Bruce points out from the corner where he is standing. He has to say it is actually odd to see Clark, a man he would consider almost a brother, again as he was before they even met. Before he ended up with that slightly haunted look that only comes from losing someone you love. Bruce knows it well. He has seen it every day in the mirror since he was 8.

"Yeah that is the main snag here," Dawn will admit. "But we have others?"

"What do you mean?" Bruce asks with some concern.

"Due to how much power she is using to maintain the paradox Willow can't block my ability to remote sight anymore. I can see what she is doing. She is gathering all her demon minions and any other creatures she can find as a little army to protect her. She knows we will come for the younger version of her. She knows I can't send you home while she is conscious. She knows she no longer has the power available to fight us by herself."

Bruce stands in quiet contemplation for a few moments. "Then we don't have to go through Doomsday exactly. We just have to keep it occupied long enough to get to Willow." Bruce's gaze turns to Clark and wonders if he has enough power at his current age to do that.

Rokk suddenly speaks up. "We'll do that," he says in reference to him and the Legion.

Clark's head turns sharply. "You won't," he says in no uncertain terms.

"Yes Kal. We will," Rokk insists. "You cannot face it. It can kill you. It will kill you and you cannot be allowed to die."

"I am going to die," Clark points out. "Dawn already said it. I will die fighting Doomsday."

"One day Kal. I can't deny that one day you will but it must not be now. You have so much to do first," Rokk almost pleads with him.

"I concur," Bruce says readily. He too knows the importance of Clark's role to come.

Clark turns to look at the man in the corner. "Do you think I will just standby and allow something that powerful to just kill my friends?" he asks with a steel laced tone.

Bruce almost sighs. Damn Kent. Even as nothing more than a kid he has that selfless sacrifice streak going. He even has the same steely look in his eyes that says he has already decided and nothing is changing his mind. "Alright but not alone. All 4 of you will fight it and it is just about holding it off long enough so that we can get to Willow."

"5 of us," another voice pipes up.

"Absolutely not," Clark tells the person with the same steel in his voice he used before.

"But dad," Karen objects.

"No but dad nothing," Clark tells his daughter.

Karen stands up as does Clark. They stare at each other arms crossed across their chests in the same exact stance. "You don't get to tell me what to do. I'm 21 and you've been dead for 10 years," Karen says defiantly.

"I am not letting you fight a monster."

"I've been avoiding that creature for 10 years. I know more about it than you do."

"I've just found out today I have a daughter. I am not losing you tomorrow."

"God Dad! Stop being so over-protective," Karen complains vociferously.

"Over-protective? This creature is Kryptonian. Do you have any idea what it takes to fight anything Kryptonian?"

"Well no," Karen admits. She has never fought Doomsday or anything Kryptonian.

"I do. I fought Zod. I fought Brainiac at its peak. I fought an insane clone that used my weaknesses as its strengths. I will not allow you to put yourself in harm's way."

Karen realises something. "Oh I know what this is. This is you taking responsibility for everything Kryptonian that happens to be evil. Get over it dad. Those things are not your fault."

"But they are my responsibility. I am the Last Son of Krypton. It falls upon me to clean up Krypton's legacy."

"I'm still going to help you whether you approve or not," Karen says with a firm steely tone.

Clark looks into his daughter's eyes for a few moments and sees she isn't shifting from her position. He looks down at Buffy. "This has to be your genes that are responsible."

Buffy scoffs. "Like you aren't stubborn when the occasion calls for it and for the record I am not any happier than you are by what she wants but recognise Clark that she is an adult and therefore capable of making her own decisions."

Clark looks at her curiously. "When did you get so wise?"

Buffy shrugs. "Meh. You'd be surprised what you pick up slaying for over 8 years. Then there is the fact I had to raise Dawn after mom died."

"Which you did a suck-ass job at," Dawn points out.

Buffy glares at her sister who responds in that eternally mature way of sticking her tongue out at Buffy.

Clark rubs his forehead. "Ok fine Karen you can come but please be careful."

"Great!" Karen says joyfully. "I finally get to try out that costume I made."

"Costume?" Clark asks to which Karen nods.

"Totally your daughter Clark," Buffy remarks.

* * *

It is the next day that the rebels suit up and get ready to march out for the showdown with Willow. Took that long just to get everyone ready. Buffy is zipping up some body armour when she hears Dawn calling her.

"Buffy! Catch!"

Buffy turns round and grabs the slayer scythe. "You still have it?" she asks surprised.

"Buffy some of these women here are slayers if you didn't realise," Dawn points out. They were all the ones Dawn could save from the last battle with Willow and many of them had carried it over the years.

Buffy works through a few moves with the scythe making sure the feel is still the same.

"Oh my god!" Karen exclaims but at a whisper. "I had forgotten what you looked like in that." She was looking for her father to find him in his Superman suit, a name this version of him has yet to inherit she knows but still it has been so long from her point of view since she saw him last in that. She can remember from being very little the colours blue and red and how vivid they were and how they made her father seem so much larger than life. She can also remember when he would take her flying long before she figured out how to do it herself. How safe, warm and loved she was in his arms and how much she has missed him since he died.

Clark turns round to find what Karen is wearing. She is in a blue skin-tight suit with his shield on her chest. She has red boots and instead of a cape she is wearing a long red trench coat that flows like a cape. It looks spectacular on her. It also seems to accentuate her already voluptuous figure which he isn't happy about. God he is turning into a over-protective father he realises and he has only know her a day. He moves to place his hands on her shoulders. "Please be careful," he asks of her.

"I will. I promise. I...I always wanted to do this with you. Fight by your side," she admits to him.

"Yes well personally I would prefer to solve things with a lot less violence but it always seems to end that way. Especially since I met your mother."

Karen giggles lightly at his joke. "You use to say that to me all time when I was growing up when you told me stories about mom."

Clark smiles a little sadly. "Karen I am going to change things. I promise that I'll find a way so that you won't have to grow up without your mother."

Karen can remember how Superman would never break his word. She moves forward and wraps her arms around her father. "I have missed you dad," she says softly with pained emotion.

Clark holds her tightly. It is all he can do. He hasn't lived that life with her yet so he can't say anything but he will live it and this time Buffy will live it too. He swears it.

"Not too rusty I hope?" Dawn teases Bruce as he packs his utility belt. He hadn't worn the full costume in a long time and he wasn't about to again here. Just the armoured vest and wrist guards.

"I could say the same of you," Bruce says back. It has been many years since Dawn last went toe-to-toe with Willow and used the full extent of her powers.

Dawn takes a breath and when she speaks again her voice is deathly serious. "We have to stop her. We have to get Clark, Buffy and those Legion guys out of here. Whatever it takes."

Bruce moves and pulls Dawn into his arms. They had known each other so long now. Relied on each other ever since the world went to hell. He holds her head to his chest. "You can do this," he assures her. "We will do this."

Dawn simply listens to the beating of Bruce's heart and she gathers herself for this. Last time she nearly died. This time Willow will die even of that means she kills the younger version of her. It is heartless and horrible but it must be done. If it prevents this nightmare then Dawn will accept whatever stain on her soul her actions will bequeath.

"Look," Bruce says and Dawn looks up and entering the room are Clark and Karen looking like each other. Buffy rushes over and while Dawn can't quite hear what she is saying she has a good guess. The 3 of them embrace

"Like Father. Like Daughter. Like Mother," Dawn says. She turns to face him once more. "Bruce when the time comes," she starts to say until Bruce stops her by placing his finger to her lips.

"Don't say it. Unless you have forgotten Kryptonians can hear the blood flow through your veins," he reminds her.

Dawn nods. "Lets get this show on the road."

* * *

Willow has assembled her demon army in record time and waits in Metropolis' central park. It is a nice open space. Perfect for a battle. "They'll be here soon," she tells her younger self who is looking miserable. "Oh come on cheer up. Today we save Chloe and all it will take is a few dozen deaths especially Clark's. A price well worth paying don't you think."

"Chloe wouldn't think so," the younger Willow says back with renewed resolve. She had spent the previous night in meditation trying to put back the darkness her older self almost let out and she found the strength by holding the thought in her head of what would Chloe want and she knows it would not be this driven insane by dark power version of her standing next to her.

For an instant it looks like the younger Willow might have made an impression on her older self as she stands stock still as she takes that in. It doesn't last as her older self simply shrugs and says "She would get over it."

It is then Willow can see that her older self is beyond redemption. Goddess. Is this truly her fate? Now she knows what her teacher meant by that she wouldn't like what she found here. What she has found is that she is destined to become a monster.

"Show time!" Willow announces.

The younger Willow looks up as a rag-tag army comes into view.

The two forces square up. Leading the rebels are Dawn, Bruce, Buffy, Clark, Karen and the Legion. Leading Willow's army is the one very big problem they need to get through. Doomsday.

This is the first time Clark has seen it. God he had no idea it was this big. He can actually believe that one day it will kill him but that isn't going to be today. He hopes.

"Aw lookie here!" Willow calls out across the masses. "The Kent family reunited. Isn't it touching," she says with complete insincerity.

Dawn steps froward. "Give it up Willow!" she orders. "You know you can't win in your current state."

Willow snorts very loudly and derisively. "Dawn you couldn't beat me if I had one hand tied behind my back."

One corner of Dawn's lips curve upward. "I'm not the one hiding at the back Will. What's the matter? Afraid to face me one-on-one?"

"Oh please Dawn. Try your reverse psychology stuff on someone who only has a handful of brain cells. Otherwise I have only one thing to say; Minions. Destroy them!!!"

Doomsday lets out a roar but before it can move Clark and Karen tackle it together and lift it into the air and away from the battle with the Legion following. That just leaves Willow's demon army against Dawn's army of rebels and the few slayers that are left. The two charge at each other and the full scale battle begins.

"What the...?" Willow trails off at the sight of Doomsday being carried off. Oh they think they are so damn clever but they aren't. Doomsday will kill Clark and she will have won. It is only a matter of time.

Doomsday grabs Karen mid-flight and tosses her away like a rag-doll. It then raises its fists and slams them into Clark's back and the two of them slam into a wrecked building causing it to collapse. Karen regains herself quickly and flies to where her father landed. The Legion are not far behind. She is about to use her x-ray vision to find them when her father comes flying out of the building almost hitting her and slams down into the street carving out a trench as he slides to a stop.

"Dad!" she yells as she rushes to him.

Clark picks himself up after receiving the hardest punch he has ever felt and wipes the blood off his cut lip. Karen lands next to him as do the Legion just as Doomsday appears from the wreckage of the building. Lighting Lad unleashes the full force of his electrical powers on Doomsday. Electricity crackles between the bony protrusions on its body but otherwise it seems unaffected.

"This is not going to be that easy," Rokk says grimly.

"We just need to buy Buffy enough time," Clark tells him.

"Remember that it can't fly," Rokk reminds everyone. "That is our greatest advantage over it."

Doomsday leaps into the air almost out of sight.

"But it sure it can leap high," Garth dryly remarks.

It heads back down right at them. "Scatter!" Clark shouts and they all move out of the way as Doomsday lands with ground shaking force. It eyes Clark and as it was created to do makes its priority killing the last son of Krypton.

Meanwhile Buffy is slicing and fighting her way through Willow's army. Her aim has to be and is to get to her along with Dawn of course who is the only one who can match Willow magically. Dawn is near her using a sword and fighting will all the skill of someone who has been doing this sort of thing for a long time. So is that Bruce guy along with throwing these boomerang type things that then explode on impact blowing the demons to pieces. Well that is one way to deal with them Buffy will admit. It is then she comes across a zombie. A familiar looking Zombie. "Xander?!"

Zombie Xander makes a moan in response.

"Ok I'm guessing you're the brainless type of zombie which makes you different from the real Xander in what way I don't know but I am going to apologise for this in advance." Buffy swings the scythe and the blade slices zombie Xander's head off in one clean blow. Wow that was strangely cathartic she thinks to herself. It was for all those times Xander annoyed the hell out of her but she forgave him because they're friends.

Willow looks on at all the violence and death with morbid amusement. The battle has been going on awhile now and she can tell that Buffy is desperately trying to fight her way through to get to her. Willow has no wish for Buffy to die and she won't. Willow knows Buffy too well to think that any of her minions can kill the slayer. They just have to slow her down until Doomsday finishes its work and kills Clark. It is then she straightens as she senses someone trying to sneak up behind her. "I know you're there Oz."

Willow and her younger self spin round as Oz, Brainiac and a few other well armed people had been trying to sneak up on them. The younger Willow's eyes widen. "Oz!"

"Hey Will," Oz says back to the red-haired version.

The older Willow's gaze turns to Brainiac 5. "Traitor," she accuses.

Brainiac tilts its head slightly. "You reprogrammed me against my will yet you call my act of rebellion a betrayal. That is not logical," it pronounces.

Willow's black eyes narrow. "You have made a grave misjudgement," she tells her attempted assailants. "I may be weaker but I can still destroy you all." Willow begins to chant as black balls of energy form in her hands. Brainiac steps in front of everyone just as Willow sends the pulse of energy from her hands straight at them. It impacts Brainiac but he is not destroyed. No this was part of the plan as Brainiac's form melts away to reveal.... "Dawn," Willow says with venom.

Dawn grimaces under Willow's assault before she manages to reflect it back at the dark witch knocking her clean through the air. The other Dawn fighting was actually Brainiac. Dawn had imprinted an impression of her life-force on it to fool Willow.

Willow stands up absolutely outraged at being deceived like that again. She screams her fury and as she does so she loses control of her power which erupts like an explosion. All those not instantly vaporised or killed by the force of the blast are knocked clean off their feet.

Fire and smoke have filled the air as Buffy groggily gets back to her feet. Well that wasn't part of the plan. She lifts her hand to her pounding head and feels the wetness that only come from blood. She must have cut it. She looks around to see Willow dark energy crackling around her standing in the middle of a small crater she must have carved out. Suddenly the ground shakes. Buffy looks up and sees dark clouds roll in at impossible speed. This can only be bad.

"Dawn!!!" Willow screams furiously. "Time to die Dawn!"

Dawn had managed to shield herself but Oz and the others were not so lucky. They're dead but the younger Willow is alive and well. Huh even in her blind rage Willow did not forget to protect her younger self. It was all as she planned. When she sent the energy back at Willow Dawn added a little something else. A taint that would induce a blinding rage inside Willow. Make her lose control. Dawn can feel the ground shake and can see the darkening sky. Willow is so consumed with rage she has forgotten about protecting this little bubble of hell they all live in from the changes Willow herself has made. This world is starting to realign with the normal flow of time. Dawn has gotten herself to where she wanted to though. She moves to the younger Willow, pulls out a knife and prepares to put an end to this once and for all.

Willow strides forward to kill that little wretch when she sees Dawn move swiftly to her younger self and pull out a knife and hold it to that Willow's throat. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Yes I would," Dawn says callously. "I'm sorry Will," she says to the younger Willow. "There is no other way."

The younger Willow swallows but she actually nods in agreement. "Do it. End this."

The knife makes the first knick but before Dawn can get any further she is tackled to the ground dropping the knife in the process.

"Buffy!!!" she yells in protest. "What are you doing??!!"

Buffy had seen, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Dawn was about to kill Willow. She had used all her slayer speed to make it in time. "What am I doing?!" she asks incredulously. "What the hell do you think you are doing??!!"

Great. Dawn gave Bruce one damn job and that was to keep Buffy away and he messes up. In fact Dawn isn't even sure he survived that explosion so maybe she is being a little harsh. She turns her attention back to her sister. "The only thing I can do Buffy. I told you Willow has to die."

"Not my Willow! And that wasn't the plan. It was to incapacitate her. That was all."

"Your plan. Not mine. If I kill Willow before she flips I can end this before it begins. You must see that it is the only way."

Buffy searches her sister's eyes and sees something she totally missed earlier. That is just how cold they are. She is an idiot. She should have realised...10 years in this world...in this nightmare...Dawn is nearly as flipped out as Willow is. Dawn just hides it better.

Before the sisters can settle the issue they are both flung away. Buffy slides across the ground. She digs the scythe into the ground to stop herself. She gets to her feet to find a smirking Willow. The black haired one that is.

"Well, well. I must admit Dawnie I didn't think you had it in you," Willow remarks with what sounds like pride in the level to which Dawn was prepared to go. She also has managed to reign in her temper. She laughs a dark terrifying laugh. "You should not have interfered you know Buffy. Dawn is right. By killing my younger self you end this. Now I win. Your precious Clark will die. In fact my pet is probably putting an end to him just as we speak."

Before Buffy can say anything or even contemplate that Dawn lets out a scream of pure rage and frustration. Her whole body takes on a green glow. "I will kill you!!!" she screams at Willow letting out 10 years of built up anger before she attacks her with all the power she has.

Meanwhile the battle with Doomsday is not going well. For awhile they managed to keep it at bay by using their ability to fly but it is as swift as any Kryptonian and eventually managed to get hold of them. Saturn Girl lies unconscious and bleeding in the street next to a similarly injured Lighting Lad. Cosmic Boy is checking over them as he holds what feels like broken ribs. For the moment Doomsday has lost interest in them. It is more interested in using Karen like a soccer ball as it kicks her about. It picks her up by her neck. She is clearly out cold as she hangs there limply. Doomsday pulls back it's hand with the bony spikes on it ready to end Karen's life. Just before it can strike though its fist is blocked by a blood covered smaller one. Kal.

Clark grits his teeth as he uses all his strength to push back Doomsday's fist. He is cut and bleeding on what feels like all over his body. There are a couple of visible bruises on his face. There are several others all over his body. He has never hurt this much he thinks. "You will not harm her," he says through his gritted teeth not knowing if this thing can understand him or not. It has seemed to concentrate more on him than anyone else during this fight.

Doomsday tosses Karen aside and uses its free hand to try and hit Clark but Clark catches that too. It looks at him almost curiously for a moment. It has been here before fighting this man. It was created to kill this man. Then something Clark never expected happens. Doomsday speaks.

"Superman," it says in a deep throaty voice. Clark looks into its glowing red eyes in complete surprise. "Destroy Superman," its says with renewed relish. It tries to throw another punch which Clark ducks under before he delivers a few of his own which drive it slowly back by the sheer force with which Clark hits. Punches that rattle his very bones with pain as Doomsday must be the hardest thing he has ever hit. Even harder than his bizarre clone or Zod.

As Clark goes for another punch Doomsday catches his fist, squeezes to the point it almost breaks the bones in his hand before pulling Clark forward and hitting Clark in the stomach with its knee bending him over. It follows that with a swift uppercut when sends Clark sailing through the air and crashing into another derelict building. He shakes his head trying to clear it just as Doomsday leaps and lands in front of him. Before Clark can defend himself Doomsday starts laying punch after punch into him pummelling Clark right into the floor. His vision is blurring. He can feel blood flowing down his face. Much more and all he will be feeling again is what it is like to die.

Dawn and Willow are fighting away with spell, counter-spell, summoning varying types of energy and throwing them at each other. They seem quite evenly matched. While this is going on Buffy take advantage and rushes over to Willow, her Willow. "Will!" she yells in relief as she gives her friend a hug.

"Buffy...kill me," Willow requests of her.

Buffy pulls back and looks at her in complete shock at Willow. She shakes her head. "No Will. How can you even ask me that?"

Willow points at her older self. "I won't become her. Not again. Kill me and you end this."

"No," Buffy says again with utter determination to not even contemplate it.

"Then you condemn this world and you condemn Clark. He can't win Buffy. That thing will kill him."

"You don't know that."

"I do!" Willow insists forcefully. "I've seen in my other's self head what that thing can do. It killed Clark, a future Clark who is stronger than he is now, and Doomsday itself...every time it is resurrected it comes back stronger. Clark will die and the world will fall. It all makes sense now."

"What does?" Buffy asks.

"I was mediating just before you were snatched," Willow explains, "to try and sort out the images I saw and they were different from the first time I glimpsed this future. The world was covered in snow and ice and there was this figure...a woman...she was so powerful...like a god."

Buffy's eyes widen as she realise what Willow is on about. That must be Cythonna she saw.

Willow continues. "That was the world that will come to pass should Clark die." Willow grabs Buffy by the arms. "Kill me Buffy. It is the only way you can save the world."

Buffy tightens her grip on the scythe. Oh god what she should do. She is distracted when nearby Dawn tumbles to the ground cut and bleeding with Willow slowly advancing on her. Willow raises her hand and creates another black ball. "This time Dawnie you won't be able to block it. Time to die." Then a positively evil smile forms on her face but just as she prepares to end Dawn's existence a sharp pain shoots right through her. She turns her head to see standing behind her is Buffy. Willow looks down to see the end of the scythe sticking out of her chest. Buffy has slammed it right through her. Willow had forgotten that the scythe is magical and in the hands of a true slayer has the power to kill her. Well whoopsie.

Willow falls forward to the ground. Her black hair starts to display red streaks as her power fades. The ground shakes worse than before. Lightning starts to strike in the clouds above. Without her power this world will fall back into the normal flow of time and all the changes she has enacted in the time-line will be played out.

At the exact same moment Clark is about to lose consciousness. Doomsday is about to deliver another punch when suddenly it freezes. It can feel the pain of its mistresses. Suddenly lightning or what looks like lightning strikes Doomsday. Clark's vision is blurry and one of his eyes is closing up but he can see Doomsday as the lightning seems to take it apart piece by piece before it completely vanishes.

Clark breathes heavily. Part of him just wants to give in to the urge to close his eyes and embrace the darkness. God his whole body is burning in pain.

"Dad?!"

Clark manages to look up to see his daughter. Her suit is torn though not as badly as his almost certainly is. She has a few cuts and a bruise on her face.

Karen rushes over to her father. Oh god. He looks dreadful. It brings back on all those painful memories of the day she lost him to Doomsday.

Clark raises a bloody hand to her cheek. "You're alright," he says with relief. He had been deeply worried about how much damage Doomsday had done to his daughter.

Karen doesn't feel all that great but she is more concerned with her father right now. Using her x-ray vision she examines him. Well by luck or fate his internal injuries don't seem too bad. Nothing beyond his ability to heal. She hears the thump of 3 pairs of boots landing and turns her head to see a worse for wear Legion standing there although just barely standing.

"How is he?" Rokk asks with great concern and in great pain at his aching ribs.

"I think he'll be alright. Might take even him a few days to heal properly though," Karen replies.

Rokk lets out a breath of what can only be relief. Kal should be alright and therefore history as well.

Karen can see the lightning increasing in ferocity. "I've never seen a storm like that."

"It's a temporal storm," Imra answers while she rubs her sore face. "This world is being realigned into the proper time-line."

Karen is no expert on temporal mechanics but she thinks she knows one thing that this will mean. She places her father's arm across her shoulder and lifts him up since she doubts he will be able to move himself. She looks at the 3 superheroes. "Time for you to leave isn't it."

Rokk nods. "Yes. Thank you for all your help Karen. You are truly Kal's daughter." He needs to say that because he doesn't know whether she will survive the changes that will soon encompass this world. His communicator goes off and he pulls it out. "It's Brainiac. He is sending us a homing beacon."

Karen nods and hovers her father off the ground. The Legion turns round and fly up and Karen follows them.

Brainiac has just about pulled itself back together. It had been performing its assigned task of impersonating Dawn Summers when the explosion occurred and it had damaged its form but not fatally. The damage is manageable and repairable. He looks around the park at the many dead and wounded and as he does so lightning strikes them and they vanish. Their time here grows short. If they don't leave soon even the ones here for other time periods will be at risk of erasure.

Buffy bends down next to the fallen Willow as she rolls her over. Her hair is now about half red and half black. Dawn was right in one way. Willow did have to die but she couldn't kill her friend for something she might do or someone she might become. Now that she knows she can prevent it she hopes but to stop this insanity this Willow had to die. The one who had forsaken her soul long ago.

Willow coughs up some blood. "Well Buffy it seems you finally grew a pair if you pardon the expression," Willow says sounding wheezy.

"It didn't have to be this way Will," Buffy says with great remorse at what she has done.

Willow manages a smile with her blooded lips. "Yes it did."

"Buffy," the younger Willow says as she looks in another direction. Buffy looks there too to see the Legion fly in followed by Karen carrying Clark. Buffy gets up and rushes over and when she does so she sees how badly hurt Clark is. Karen lays him on the ground. He has finally lost the struggle to remain conscious.

"Oh god Clark," she says with deep worry. She strokes his bloody face. One eye in now swollen shut completely.

"He should recover," Karen tells her mother.

Buffy looks at her daughter. "You're hurt," she says with what amounts to parental concern.

Karen dismisses it. "I'll be fine."

Brainiac has made his way over to the group "We need to go Cosmic Boy," he informs the leader of the Legion.

"I know," he says back.

Buffy looks at the younger Will who is not looking like she is quite able to do it at the moment. In fact she looks in shock which is not surprising since she just saw Buffy kill her in a way.

"I can get you home."

Buffy looks up to see Dawn standing there. Buffy gets to her feet. "Why in hell should I trust you?" she asks very sceptically and with some anger.

"Because you have no choice," Dawn says simply. "You must leave before this world realigns or you will risk erasure."

Buffy looks around and can see lightning hit buildings which either vanish or transform into an undamaged state.

"This world is changing to accommodate the changes Willow made but prevented from affecting this bubble. Now her power is fading she can't stop it anymore," Dawn explains.

Buffy glares at her sister. "Do it but if you double cross me Dawn I swear..." She leaves it unsaid but her meaning is clear.

"I will need a few moments to gather the power necessary," Dawn informs them.

Buffy gives her permission with a nod.

"Buffy," the dying Willow's croaky voice calls out. Buffy moves back to her and can see her hair is now mostly red with just a few black streaks and the black veins have all but faded away. Even her eyes have returned to their natural colour. "I have a few last words," Willow says with a laboured breath.

Buffy kneels down next to her. "What are they Will?" she asks. Willow deserves at least this much. To have someone here in her last moments.

Willow takes another laboured breath before speaking "It's for Clark." Buffy frowns up in confusion. Why would this Willow have words for someone Buffy knows she hates? Willow begins with hate permeating her voice. "To the last, I will grapple with thee!" Willow takes an even more laboured breath as her hair completely returns to its natural red colour. "From hell's heart, I stab at thee!" She takes what is nearly her last breath. "For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee!"

Buffy's brow furrows even more until she recognises this strange tingling sensation on her stomach. She looks down to see Willow's hand pressed to her stomach and dark, black energy crackling around it.

A sick little smile forms on Willow's face with the last of her strength. "Say bye to little Karen Buffy."

Buffy's eyes widen in horror at the realisation of what Willow means. "Will! No!" she screams but before she can do anything Willow unleashes the last of her power on the embryo inside Buffy. The force knocks Buffy away and she rolls across the ground before stopping. She doesn't move. Willow may not have killed Clark but she has made him suffer in the same way she has suffered for the last 22 years since she lost everything that mattered to her. It is her last act as she breathes her last as her eyes flutter shut and her body goes limp.

Dawn looks on in horror too. She knows what Willow has just done. She may be a little unhinged but she loves her niece. "No, no, no, no, no, no," she mutters as her gaze shifts to Karen. The clouds in the sky above darken further. Lightning springs forth and strikes Karen who fades from existence before everyone's eyes.

The younger Willow had seen it all too. Oh goddess. She truly does turn into a monster. She breaks down and starts to sob.

The storm worsens as the world nears reintegration with the time-line. What looks like tornadoes fall from the sky as they sweep away all that shouldn't be there.

"Dawn!" Rokk shouts trying to snap her out of it. He marches up to her when that fails and grabs her by the arms. "Dawn," he says firmly and her gaze shifts to him. "We need to go or your sister will die as well."

That seems to bring Dawn back to the moment. "I'm ready. Grab them."

Rokk gives her a nod as she summons the energy of the Key within her and starts to open a vortex. "Brainiac. Pick up Kal," Rokk commands since Brainiac is probably the only one of them strong enough to lift Kal. "Im," he says to get his blond companion's attention. "Help her," he says pointing at the sobbing Willow. Rokk himself gently lifts Buffy up into his arms trying to be careful not to aggravate whatever internal injury the older Willow has inflicted upon her.

Dawn opens the vortex. "Go," she tells them. "And tell Buffy I'm sorry," she says with regret at what she has become and at what has befallen her sister.

Rokk carrying Buffy, Imra helping Willow, Brainiac carrying Clark and Garth with a noticeable limp all jump into the vortex which closes up behind them. Dawn looks around as this future world approaches its end, its Doomsday so to speak. A hand touches her shoulder and she spins round. "Bruce."

Dawn can see he is hurt. His face is scarred not unlike her own had been once. "Hold me," she pleads not wanting to be alone in these final moments. Bruce takes her into his arms. Tears trickle down her face. One of the tornadoes heads right at them. Bruce kisses the top of Dawn's head and holds her tightly as the tornado hits them and they know no more as it wipes this version of them from existence.

* * *

_Author's Note: __I made up the whole Krypton having a destroyed twin planet. It is basically a thread for later when Cythonna rises which will partially explain her hatred of Kryptonians. __Willow's last words are of course from Moby Dick but I was inspired to put them in here while I was watching Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. They are Khan's last words. Well I pretty much battered everyone during this chapter didn't I. A few people asked that I didn't erase Buffy and Clark's daughter Karen from history but for how I intend to end Part 3 of my story I'm afraid it was necessary. Of course I have really messed up Willow by having her older evil self murder the unborn Karen. Wonder what the ramifications of that will be huh?_

_Thank you to all those who wrote reviews._


	44. Part 3 Chapter 19: Aftermath I

Chapter 19: Aftermath I

"Hey guys! What did I miss?" Xander asks at the scene before him and when the heck did Chloe and Dawn get here?

Before anyone can answer him the swirling vortex reopens exactly where it had been a few moments ago and out of it come Rokk carrying the unconscious Buffy, Imra basically holding the still sobbing Willow up, the limping Garth and Brainiac carrying the badly beaten Clark.

Faith sums it up in one word. "Shit!"

Chloe is torn between the sight of her crying girlfriend and the sight of the bloody swollen face of her best friend. "What the hell happened?!"

Rokk takes a painful breath. His ribs are on fire. They have to be broken and he has been doing his best to ignore the pain but he is tired and exhausted. "Medical attention would be more advisable than answers right now."

A little later Faith watches as those slayers with medical training patch everyone up. They had had them emergency teleported in from HQ. Chloe has taken Willow away to see if she could get her to stop crying and find out what happened. Buffy and Clark are still out like a light. Dawn and Xander are by Buffy's bed. Clark looks like crap. Worse than Faith did after she fought the Beast. That strange green skinned guy is in the corner staying out of everyone's way. Right now Faith is currently waiting for an explanation from Rokk who is getting his ribs bandaged up. His two friends are on neighbouring beds having their injuries treated.

Rokk looks up at Faith. "It would be advisable to place Kal somewhere he can be exposed to as much sunlight as possible," he tells her.

"Uh huh. I'll pass that on after you tell me what in the blue blazes of hell happened!"

Rokk lets out a painful, tired sigh. "You should sit down. This may take awhile."

* * *

Meanwhile in Willow's bedroom Chloe is trying to get her girlfriend to stop crying which is no easy task it seems. "Will," she says gently. "It's alright. Whatever it is."

"No. No it's not," Willow sobs out. "I'm a monster!"

Chloe looks at Will strangely. "What!?! Willow you are not a monster. Why would you say that?"

"I killed her. I killed her," she says twice sounding oddly detached from the words though.

"Killed who?"

Willow doesn't reply and goes back to sobbing in Chloe's arms. Chloe simply holds her. It seems she will have to get the story of what has transpired from those Legion guys as soon as she can calm Willow down.

* * *

"Shit!" Faith says concisely. It seemed to be the only word to sum up what she just heard. Devastated future. Evil Willow. Most of them dead. Killed by a monstrous creature that seems likely they will have to fight at some point in the future. Buffy and Clark most likely have just lost their baby if she is to believe it.

The slayer treating Buffy, Ashley is her name, comes over to Faith.

"Well what's the score?" Faith asks her.

"Buffy will recover. Her slayer healing will see to it but..." she hesitates for a moment.

"Was she pregnant?" Faith asks wanting Ashley to get to the point.

Ashley's face is grim. She answers with a nod. "Yes but whatever she was struck with has caused her to miscarry. I'm afraid she has lost the baby."

Faith almost lets out another expletive but decides that maybe that isn't appropriate. God. Poor B. "What about Clark?" she asks deciding to move on for the moment.

All Ashley can do in response is shrug. Before she became a slayer she was a doctor in training but alien biology is a little outside her expertise. "Your guess is as good as mine. I don't even know where to start. Frankly I'm amazed he is still alive. I'm not sure any of us could survive injuries like that."

"His injuries should not be fatal," Rokk interrupts. "Karen said it was within his own healing abilities to recover. Just ensure he gets plenty of sunlight."

Ashley looks to Faith who shakes her head. "He knows better than us so just do what he says."

Ashley makes a mental note to move Clark near a window before she looks at Rokk. "I'm not sure what we can do for you either," she admits to him since he too is an alien.

Rokk smiles appreciatively. "Thank you but I shall be fine as soon as we return to the 31st century."

Ashley shakes her head. If demons and vampires weren't enough now she gets aliens and aliens from the future at that.

"Thanks Ash," Faith says genuinely. "Just do your best."

"I can treat physical injuries just fine but as for the emotional trauma, especially Buffy...."

Faith nods. "Yeah. I know. We'll figure something out once she wakes up." Faith turns back to Rokk. "Alright spill it. How do we prevent this future you saw from happening?"

Rokk sighs heavily. "Faith. It is not that simple. There are certain events that must take place. Fixed points in time that cannot be altered."

"So what B and Clark will just die and you won't lift a finger to prevent it?"

Rokk fixes Faith a deathly serious gaze. "Kal's death is a fixed point Faith. It cannot, it must not be changed. His death has an...," Rokk struggles on how to describe it, "impact on the world that no other event can match and before you say that I am unfeeling you must understand this; it is Legion code to uphold the integrity of the time-line. To uphold the next 1000 years of history. If it is altered think of the countless billions whose lives will be affected." Rokk softens his tone. "I know you care for your friends Faith but it was only Willow's meddling that allowed you to have knowledge of the future at all. Otherwise events would have played out and you would not be any the wiser."

Faith hates to admit this but what Rokk is saying makes sense. Dammit to hell! Ever since she took on this leadership role she has started to see the world differently. Once upon a time she would have taken whatever action she thought necessary and damn the consequences but not anymore. Now she has responsibilities. "What about B? Is her death one of these fixed points?"

"I don't know," Rokk honestly admits. "I know she is important for a part of Kal's life. That much is written down in history."

"Part?" Faith queries.

"Yes but that doesn't mean she dies. It just means...," Rokk takes a moment to think of the words he wishes to use. "Their hearts may be currently entwined but they have yet to be joined together forever."

Faith cocks her head at Rokk a little puzzled.

"You must understand Faith we come from 1000 years from now. Look 1000 years back and tell me how much is missing from history. How much is guess work and supposition. Maybe I am wrong but to my knowledge Kal and Buffy's journey will end one year from now during the battle with Cythonna. I do not know what happens to Buffy after that." Rokk gives Faith a small apologetic smile. "I can't even tell you exactly what happens to you either. It has simply been lost over the centuries."

Rokk takes a few moments before adding "If it means anything I hope I am mistaken. In fact I could be already. Willow, that future Willow, has already made alterations...has made changes to the history I know. From a personal standpoint I can only hope they are not enough to destroy the future we came from and that we have one to return to."

Well despite Faith not wanting her friends to die she can sympathise with these 3 wanting to preserve their home essentially. There has to be a way to have both though. There must be.

* * *

Buffy's eyes flicker open as she tries to figure out where she is.

"Buffy?" a caring, concerned voice enquires.

Buffy turns her gaze to her left and sees Dawn sitting by the bed. "Dawnie? What happened?" she asks as she registers the shooting pains in her stomach. Oh dear god. Now she remembers. "Dawn...the baby...what happened to my baby?" she asks almost frantically.

Dawn swallows the lump in her throat. She had been told everything while Buffy was unconscious and has stayed by her sister's bedside determined to be here when Buffy woke up. "I'm sorry Buffy," she begins to say and she can see tears form up in Buffy's eyes. "You've...you've lost the baby."

A heart-wrenching sob escapes from Buffy as she realises that that beautiful young woman she met will now never exist. Buffy curls up into a foetal position as tears flow down her cheeks. As she watches her sister cry in pain and loss Dawn can't stop her own tears from flowing. She moves over and wraps her arms around her sister and they cry together.

Outside the infirmary Faith is telling Chloe the whole story and she ends up summing it up in the same way Faith did. "Shit!" No wonder Willow is a complete and utter wreck. Chloe has left her sleeping after Willow seemed to have cried herself to exhaustion.

Xander is there too leaning against the wall. First he lost Renee and now all this...this...whatever it is. He can't even find the words to describe it. Jesus what a mess.

Faith is pacing back and forth utterly frustrated at how helpless she feels and she doesn't do helpless well. God she really needs to beat something up severely.

Chloe too is feeling kind of useless. "I don't know what to do," she admits. "I don't know what to do to help Will and...god who is going to tell Clark when he wakes up?" She places her hands over her face as she tries to get control back over her own emotions.

Xander places his hand on Chloe's shoulder. "For now you just be there for Will. That is what she needs to know; that you aren't going to run away from her because of what happened in that future."

Chloe looks up into Xander's face and sees his calm and sympathetic expression which gives her renewed strength.

"Clark may be out for days," Xander continues. "We'll deal with that when he wakes up."

Chloe nods and takes a deep breath. "I'll go check up on Will," she tells them before she turns and heads off.

"Faith will you stop pacing please," Xander pleads of her. It was proving quite annoying watching the dark haired slayer pacing back and forth.

Faith stops and looks at him. "Give me a break X. I'm not good at all this touchy feely crap. I can stake a vamp with the best of them but emotional trauma I just have no frickin idea what I'm doing," she admits in a surprisingly honest outburst.

Xander knows that all too well. Faith has been through the ringer too often and it has left her not the best person to deal with her own emotional traumas let alone anyone else's. "We should go home," he announces suddenly.

Faith has to say that that is the first good idea she has heard in hours. "Right I'll get the local witches..."

"No Faith," Xander cuts her off.

"Huh? What? Come again?"

"I said no," Xander says calmly. "Magic...magic is what consumes Willow in the end," he says in analysis of what they know. "We...we have become too liberal in using it." They had been using it lately to indulge their whims and magic should never be used like that. "Sure in an emergency its fine but otherwise we should get about and do things the same way everyone else does."

Faith lets out an unhappy sigh. Xander is right unfortunately. "That means the plane again." Xander nods. "I hate planes!"

Xander shrugs. "Look at this as an opportunity to get over your phobia," he says rationally.

Faith narrows her eyes. "And I hate you too Harris." She then spins and leaves in what can only be described as a theatrical manner.

Xander lets out a loud breath. He may have lost someone he loved, Buffy and Willow are both emotional wrecks, Clark has been beaten to unconsciousness but at least Faith still loves him at least.

* * *

The 3 members of the Legion stand around Clark's bed holding hands. They have been patched up for the moment and will soon be leaving. They just have one thing to do first. Brainiac 5 is standing off to the side simply observing. Imra at one end then places her fingers to Kal's temple and shuts her eyes in concentration. All 3 find themselves inside Kal's Fortress.

"What are you guys doing here?"

All 3 turn around to find Kal dressed in his red and blue outfit.

"This is your mind Kal," Imra explains calmly. She had taken all 3 of them inside Kal's mind since they must leave shortly and they wanted to say farewell.

Clark looks around. "Really? I thought it would look more like the farm."

All 3 Legionnaires can't help a small laugh at Kal's humour. "It can look however you wish Kal. It is your mind," Imra informs him.

"Oh. Ok." In an moment the whole world blurs and then realigns itself to the farm in Smallville and Clark wearing simply a plaid shirt and jeans. "There. Much better," he remarks as he gives himself a quick appraisal. He looks at his 3 friends. "Ok I am assuming this isn't a social call."

Rokk steps forward with a shake of his head. "We are here to say farewell since we do not believe you will awaken before we must depart."

"That bad huh?" Clark queries remembering full well what has happened to him.

"You have looked better," Rokk answers carefully choosing his words.

Clark gives an affirmative nod and slides his hands into his pockets. "So care to enlighten me on what I am missing?"

All 3 Legionnaires look at each other for a moment wondering if they should tell him the bad news before Rokk decides "I think it is better left to your friends upon your awakening."

"Ok fine," Clark says in acceptance. He can just tell that they won't say anything even if he was to push. "But I have a question first. Will the future still pan out the way we saw?"

"I'm sorry Kal. I don't know that answer," Rokk answers truthfully. "I hope not but certain events are unavoidable," he says with some regret.

"My death being one such event," Clark says with certainty. He isn't sure why exactly he is certain that he will die. It is just a feeling he has had ever since he learned of it.

"Your death is a fixed point in time Kal. Legion code dictates..." Rokk is cut off by Clark raising his hand.

"Spare me. I know all about rules. Jor-El gave a whole bunch of them that I never liked. Just tell me when."

Rokk is rather perplexed. "You don't want to try and prevent it as the others do?"

"I have no wish to die but my life is not important compared to the countless billions whose future may have already been changed. The only thing I wish to change is Buffy's death."

"I do not know if that is possible Kal," Rokk tells him. "But I don't know that it isn't either."

"Well not the reply I was hoping for," Clark admits. "But I'll take what I can get. Now as I was going to say I can understand your wish to preserve your future despite my rather emotional outburst when we first met."

"Which was perfectly understandable," Imra says in sympathy.

"Thanks," Clark tells her. "Knowing of the future is a burden. Knowing that one's self is going to die even more so but if I know when it will happen I can at least make a few preparations for that day."

"I cannot give you an exact date," Rokk preambles, "but what I can say is that it is about 12 years from now that Doomsday will rise."

Clark nods. "Good enough and thank you."

Rokk takes a breath. "Kal I know that your friends will do all they can to prevent your death and in the immediate future the rise of Cythonna. However as both are fixed points in time you will find that time will not easily allow you to make such drastic alterations. It will bend events to ensure they happen. Willow, the future one, despite her insanity was very careful, methodical and specific about the changes she was making which is what allowed her to alter things to the extent she did. A year from now Cythonna will rise and you and your allies must fight her. Who lives and who dies may be circumstances that can be changed. I wish I had something more positive to tell you."

"Well what you have said and what I have seen is that time can be altered and therefore we do have free will and are not simply following some laid out plan."

"Of course you have free will Kal. All living beings do," Rokk says with absolute certainty. "Only certain events are what we call fixed points. Others are in constant flux shaped by the decisions we make. Even the so-called fixed points can be altered although as I said that is difficult."

Clark takes a moment to digest it all before he decides he knows what he had wanted to know. It confirmed basically what he had figured out himself or he had learned from his teachings with Jor-El. He'll move onto another related subject. "So another question. What do we do with Brainiac 5?"

"We will take him with us," Rokk answers. "He has knowledge of future events that cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of others. He is also a remnant of a hopefully redundant time-line which makes him a paradox that shouldn't exist at all. However I believe we can find a place for him amongst the Legion. He has abilities and skills that could prove useful."

That sounds sensible to Clark. "So I guess this is farewell," he says holding out his hand to Rokk.

Rokk takes it and shakes Kal's hand. "Farewell Kal. It has truly been an honour. You are all they say you are in the history texts."

"Oh please stop. You'll give me a swelled head," Clark says with good natured banter.

That makes Garth laugh as he too exchanges a farewell with Kal. Imra gives him a kiss on the cheek for good measure. He truly is gorgeous she just has to think to herself.

"One more thing Kal," Rokk adds before they leave his mind. "When you wake you will find we have left you one of our rings. If you should ever wish to visit just place it on your finger and think 1000 years in the future. We'll be there waiting."

"Thank you," Clark says genuinely touched. "I'll give it some thought when you know I wake up."

Rokk bows his head and in a flash the 3 Legionnaires find themselves back in the real world standing around Kal. Rokk places a Legion ring into Kal's hand and closes it. "Time to go," Rokk announces to his 2 friends. He turns to Brainiac 5. "You too," he instructs and Brainiac moves to join the group. Personally Rokk can't wait to get home to the 31st century where they have medical technology to actually fix his ribs which are still aching.

"You guys leaving?" Faith asks as she walks back in having heard Rokk's words.

"Yes. We have accomplished what we came here to do. Kal is safe. The one responsible for endangering the time-line is no more. The longer we stay the more we risk changing things to where even those fixed events I mentioned may not occur. Besides if we stay we both know what you will ask of us."

"Faith nods. Yeah. Knowledge of the future. "Go," she tells them. "Before any of the others can stop you."

"Farewell Faith Lehane. It has been an honour knowing you," Rokk tells her.

"Yeah you better go now. I really don't like people who use my surname," she says with a joky threat.

The 3 Legionnaires plus Brainiac bunch together and hold their ring hands above their heads, Brainiac having been given one too. "Long live the Legion!" they chant before in a purple flash of light they vanish.

Well that is one problem down Faith thinks to herself before she looks at the battered Clark and Buffy who has fallen asleep with tear streaks down her face. Not to mention Willow and all the other stuff she now knows about that they will face soon. Yeah one problem down. Just a million more to go. God their lives suck.

* * *

_Author's Note: The fixed points in time stuff I got from Doctor Who. The Doctor mentions how there are fixed points in history that cannot and must not be altered and others that are in flux that can be changed. I thought that it applied nicely to what the Legion are trying to uphold in terms of what they perceive as history and of course I had to have them leave Clark a Legion ring. A big thank you to all those who left reviews. As always I really appreciate them._


	45. Part 3 Chapter 20: Aftermath II

Chapter 20: Aftermath II

Clark stands looking out the window back at the Scottish Castle HQ of the slayers with an extremely heavy, sad heart. Upon waking he had been told everything. Told that Buffy had lost their baby and that Karen whom he had met all too briefly no longer existed. His injuries had almost healed now. Only a few bruises left to show the punishment he went through. Not bad for someone who a few days ago had been beaten nearly to death. Clark supposes it is a testament to his Kryptonian physiology. Anyone else would either be dead or laid up for months and then never fully physically recover. Clark would make a complete recovery...at least physically. Emotionally was a whole other issue.

Clark looks down at his hand in which is the ring the Legion gave him. He wasn't sure quite what to do with it. Probably take it up to the Fortress to keep it safe and away from those who would use the ability to travel through time for their own selfish means.

"Clark?" a voice from behind inquires.

Clark closes his fist around the ring and turns to see Chloe. "Hey Chlo."

Chloe had been staying at the castle too trying to help Willow somehow. It hadn't been easy and Willow was still a major wreck varying from fits of sobbing to near catatonia. "You alright?" Chloe asks then mentally kicks herself for asking such a stupid question. Of course he is not alright. He just found out he lost a baby he never thought was possible in the first place.

"I'll live," is Clark's rather bland reply.

Chloe moves to stand next to him. "I wish I knew what to say Clark."

"I wish you did too but this is just something I have to work-out by myself."

"Should I even bother asking how Buffy is?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

Chloe turns to look at him. She never expected that answer. Clark's gaze is still on the distant horizon but Chloe is sure she can see moisture in his eyes.

"She won't speak to me," Clark tells Chloe. "She has barely said two words to me since I woke up and I..." Clark rubs his free hand over his face. "I have no idea what to say or do or..." he trails off as he takes a shaky breath.

Chloe reaches for his hand and takes it into her own and gives it a reassuring squeeze. "Have you had a chance to speak to your mom yet?" she asks him.

Clark shakes his head slowly. "I don't want to worry her," he explains as his reasoning. That and he doesn't know what to tell her. It is like he simply can't find the words to quite describe what he is feeling assuming the words even exist.

"Clark this is not something you have to carry by yourself," Chloe tries to make him see. Clark has a tendency to keep all his burdens to himself and one of these days he is going to find that even his shoulders will be unable to carry that weight.

Clark takes a long, deep breath. "I can't Chlo. I've tried to let it out but it is like my steel exterior just simply won't break this time."

Chloe's heart pinches painfully for her best friend. She really has no advise to give on this subject. All she can hope is that Clark simply needs a little more time to absorb this and then he can grieve properly. Perhaps there is one way she can help speed the process along. Xander was caring for Willow at the moment so she had some time. "Tell me about her. Tell me about Karen," she requests gently.

Clark turns his head to look at Chloe inquisitively for a moment before his mouth opens and he does what she asked. He tells her all about his beautiful daughter that now no longer exists.

* * *

"Stop looking at me like that Faith," Buffy tells her fellow slayer as she looks through reports from other slayer cells sounding annoyed which she is. Faith is starting to get on her nerves.

Faith does not waver in her gaze. Buffy's slayer healing may have her back on her feet within days but ever since they got back home to HQ Buffy has not stopped burying herself in work for a moment. Even Faith can recognise an avoidance technique when she sees one. Buffy is trying to avoid dealing with her trauma by working too hard. "This isn't healthy you know."

With those words Buffy jumps from annoyed straight to pissed off. "Faith do not dare try to tell me what to do. Not you of all people."

"B if you want to work this out in the training room I am more than happy to oblige." Faith can see the look in Buffy's eye that says if she keeps pushing expect violence.

Buffy makes a low growling sound from her throat before she turns back to what she was doing and that is looking for any references to Cythonna so she can find and kill the goddess and once she has dealt with that she will turn her attention to finding and destroying Doomsday. Then she will have made sure that that future they visited will never play out. Will won't become evil and Clark won't die. As she thinks of Clark her hand unconsciously touches her stomach although Buffy is trying hard not to think about what she has lost.

Faith is almost astounded. Buffy actually backed down there from fighting her. Jesus. Buffy is even more messed up than Faith thought she was.

* * *

"Why?"

Xander looks up from across one of the tables in the dinning hall in complete surprise. That was the first word Willow had uttered in days. At least uttered to him. "Why what Will?"

"Why are you here?"

"Why are any of us here?" Xander jovially replies.

"Why are you here with me?" Willow elaborates.

"Because you are my best friend Will. I told you before when you were about to destroy the world that nothing would change that. Even if the world turns out to be like that nightmare you visited I will still be here by your side."

"You were dead," Willow says simply.

"I was a zombie I think Buffy mentioned. Part of the army she fought and therefore still by your side. You see even death can't stop me."

A tiny smile appears on Willow's face. The first one anyone has seen on her face since her return.

Xander is pleased that he has managed to get a smile out of Will. He was beginning to wonder what it would take to get a positive reaction out of her.

The smile soon fades though. "I'm sorry," she says.

"Sorry?" Xander asks in some confusion. "About what?"

"Renee. I haven't been very supportive to you," she admits in self-chastisement.

"Hey. It's ok. You went through hell in that future world. I understand."

"How...how are you doing?" she asks feeling she should at least asks that.

Xander shrugs. "It still hurts. It always hurts."

Willow's gaze drops to the table. "I don't want to be her. Not again."

Xander catches on to that she means that she doesn't want to be that Evil Willow again. "Then don't," he replies simply. "You have free will. You have the power to be anyone you want."

"That's what Chloe keeps saying to me."

"Smart girl that one. She's a keeper."

Willow takes several minutes to think things through. "I don't know why I feel like I do," she admits to Xander. "I feel like I did all those terrible things. I guess I did in a way."

"Maybe," Xander says thoughtfully. "Lets go for honesty here. Sure maybe you could become that person you saw. Then again from what Faith said those Legion guys told her the future is not set. Our decisions shape it. It all comes back to free will. If we take the worst case scenario and Chloe dies would you really flip out and turn back to the darkside?"

Willow thinks on it. If Chloe was to die she would be upset no doubt but would she go as far as she did after Tara died?

"I think," Xander continues, "the key here is magic or your use of it. Lets be honest we have been completely misusing it for stuff it should never be used for."

"Maybe," Willow will almost concede, "but without magic what am I good for?"

Xander blinks in astonishment. She can't...there is no way that Will can really think that it is her ability to do magic that defines her. "Is that why you think Chloe dates you? Because you can do magic?"

"Well no. I don't think so anyway."

"Ok since she isn't here I'm going to answer for her. Of course it isn't and you are not defined by your ability to do magic just like Buffy is not defined simply because she has freakish super human strength or I am defined by the fact I'm just a plain normal human being."

Willow interrupts by abruptly bursting into giggles.

"What?" Xander asks her.

"You...normal?...that is just..." she dissolves into another fit of giggles.

Xander smiles at the sight of his mirth afflicted friend. He manages to take one of her hands into his and waits until her fit ends. "Look this is not going to be easy. You are not going to feel better about yourself in a day or even a week or a month but Chloe needs to know about this and then me and her are going to show you that magic is not your defining quality and when that day comes you will realise that you will never become that dark, twisted version of yourself ever again simply because you will choose not to."

Willow looks at her best friend in the whole world with a simple smile. "You really think I can do it?"

"Will I don't think. I know. I know that you can do anything and you can do it without one drop of magic."

And with those words the thought enters Willow's mind for the first time that maybe she won't end up a monster after all.

* * *

That night Buffy enters her room, preparing for a sleep she knows will be fitful at best because she has barely slept a wink in the last few days, to find Clark already there getting changed for bed. "Um...hi," she says not knowing what else to say.

Clark turns his gaze to her and finds that Buffy, as she has done every time they have been in the same room lately, averts her gaze from him. "Hi," he says softly.

"How...how are you feeling?" she asks as the only expected thing to say.

"Better," he says as she lifts his t-shirt over his head trying not to show the stiffness and aches he is still feeling.

"Good. That's good."

"And you? How are you feeling?"

"Oh you know me," she says a little too brightly.

Clark sighs. "Buffy. When are you actually going to talk to me?"

"I thought that was what we are doing."

"Small talk does not count. You don't really tell me how you are feeling. You won't even look at me in the eye."

Buffy turns her back to him but not before her mask cracks and he sees her true feelings for an instant. "I can't," she says in a tiny voice.

"Can't what?"

"Look at you in the eye. She had your eyes. She was going to have your eyes. Now she will nev..." Something like a strangled sob escapes Buffy's lips before she managed to completely stop it.

Clark goes to her but as soon as he touches her on the shoulder she almost jumps away from him. She won't even let him touch her. More weight sinks his already heavy heart. He feels like some kind of barrier has just suddenly been thrown up between him and Buffy. One that she seems not inclined to tear down.

Buffy takes a moment to gather herself back up. She is actually kind of surprised at herself how much she can't seem to stand Clark even touching her. "So...um...you well enough to help us look for this Cythonna now?" she asks shifting the subject.

"Sure," is all Clark can manage.

"You don't sound very enthused."

"I'm just not sure we'll find her."

A frown comes to Buffy's face and she forces herself to turn round so she can look at Clark's expression. "What? Don't you care now that she is suppose to kill me?"

"Of course I care but if Cythonna is here then she has been here a very long time. Long enough that she has been forgotten and lost and she is powerful enough that if she doesn't want to be found you won't find her."

"So? We shouldn't try?" she asks getting increasingly annoyed at Clark's attitude. What has gotten into him she wonders.

"I never said that."

"No you don't say much of anything. Especially these last few days."

Now it is Clark's turn to frown in annoyance. "Oh that is rich when I just said that you are the one who isn't talking to me."

"Well excuse me if I happen to be in pain and grief. I just lost my baby girl!!!" She is starting to shout now in anger.

"So did I!" Clark says not quite shouting but definitely in a raised voice.

Buffy snorts. "I didn't see you carrying her inside your body. In fact the whole thing has to be your fault in the first place."

"What the hell does that mean!?"

"Please I remember you lamenting to me how you thought you couldn't have children. That you weren't compatible with humans."

"Well I didn't think I was."

"Yet I end up knocked up despite the fact I am on birth control. Makes one suspicious."

She can't mean..."You don't think that I..."

Buffy cocks her head at him.

"Oh what you think I lied to you? Do you really think I would do that?"

Buffy opens her mouth to say 'yes' but catches herself before she does. What is she saying? She takes a moment to reign in her emotions. "No I don't think that," she tells him. "But I just can't...be around you right now Clark."

Clark's heart drops into his feet. What is happening to them? How can this go wrong so quickly? "I'll find an empty room," he says simply.

"Right and if that fails I'm sure Faith would have no problem sharing her bed with you," she says out of nowhere and with a suggestive overtone to her voice.

Now Clark is really annoyed. She can't possibly think... "Buffy what is that suppose to mean?"

"Oh well Dawn, future Dawn, told me some stuff about you and Faith and what you did after I died. Well you did each other to be frank."

Clark just stares at her. It is like he is looking at a stranger. "I'm going to let that one go because I know you are upset but if you think I would do that to you after what we just went through then you really don't me."

"Well maybe I don't," she says in a haughty voice.

Clark says no more because his emotions are in a turmoil as it is and he is close to losing his temper here. He simply turns and walks out leaving Buffy standing all alone, her mask cracking once more, as tears gently roll down her face.

Clark stomps down the corridor and turns a corner never noticing the figure watching him go. The figure with a smug smile on its face. It even lets out a quiet little chortle. It may not have any physical form but that does not mean the entity known as the First Evil has no ability to influence people and with Buffy and Kal-El's emotions in such a raw, open state in the aftermath of their trip to the future it is remarkably easy to whisper in their ears and place ideas in their heads. It is all going better than it thought actually. Despite the fact that both of them survived the whole plan with evil future Willow hasn't been a complete bust as it has contributed to a process of wearing the two love-birds down and now with their will to resist its influence weakening the First can succeed in doing something just as influential as killing one, or both, of them and that is it to push Kal-El away from the slayer and once he is on his own it will be much easier to turn Kal-El to its way of thinking. The First turns its head. Ah Buffy is going to sleep. Time to visit her dreams and using the fraction of the power it can use in this dimension push the not so happy couple beyond the breaking point. As the figure vanishes from the corridor it can't help but let out another laugh at the prospect.

* * *

_Buffy is walking along the corridor of what seems to be Slayer HQ yet seems off somehow. She heads towards what she thinks is her room when she picks up the moans and gasps and what sounds like a bed creaking. She opens the door and enters the room to find Clark and Faith together in bed having sex. Her heart feels like it has just shattered into a million pieces. She can't even bring herself to scream and shout at them so she turns to leave the room only to find the door has vanished and there is nothing but a stone wall. She is trapped and Clark and Faith are still at it and their screams and moans are getting louder all the time until she hears the unmistakable cries that can only come with an orgasm. Following that she can hear the two of them crashing down on the bed breathing heavily._

"_Damn!!!" Faith suddenly shouts out from behind Buffy. "You really are a big boy aren't you."_

_Oh god. Buffy feels sick._

"_I aim to please," is the response in Clark's unmistakable voice._

_Buffy feels even sicker._

"_How about another round Superman?" Faith's sultry voice proposes._

_Clark lets out a groan. "God Faith. I thought Buffy was something but you...you are a goddess."_

"_Does that mean you are going to worship me?" Faith asks, her voice having an intrigued tone to it._

"_How about I just screw you until you can't walk," he proposes crudely._

"_Works for me!!!" Faith yells out cheerfully._

_As they start up again Buffy screws her eyes shut and covers up her ears. God how could Clark do this to her after what they have just lost?_

_Then as if he could hear her thoughts Clark answers her question even through her hands covering her ears. "Because at least Faith can give me the one thing you took away from me."_

_Buffy opens her eyes and spins round to find Clark sitting on a couch next to Faith. A heavily pregnant Faith and Clark is gently stroking the swollen belly. The scene shifts to Faith now holding a baby while Clark, Xander, Chloe, Willow and a whole bunch of other people coo over the newborn._

_Another Faith is suddenly standing beside Buffy. "You know B I always thought I would never beat you at anything but guess what? This time I won. I got the guy. I gave him the one thing you were unable to."_

_A tear rolls down her cheek. "It wasn't my fault."_

_Mocking laughter rings in Buffy's ears. "Then whose fault was it mom?"_

_Buffy turns to see Karen standing there. "Karen. I..."_

"_You? What? Failed miserably in a parent's first duty to protect their child. You see this is why I don't begrudge dad his happiness because he protected me when we fought Doomsday but you..." Karen looks at Buffy in disgust. "You couldn't even protect me from a dying witch. You are not fit to be my mother. I'm glad I'll never be born now. After all why would I want to exist when my mother would be you."_

_Tears flow freely from Buffy's eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispers._

"_Sometimes sorry isn't enough." Karen then turns on her heels and as she walks away fades into nothing._

"_Karen!" Buffy shouts out after her daughter._

"Karen!" Buffy shouts as she shoots up in bed, a cold sweat rolling down her face. "It was a dream," she says in relief. "It was only a dream."

"_Was it?"_ a voice at the back of her mind asks her. _"Or is it that right now your beloved fiancé is looking to plant his flag in another piece of real estate?"_

No. Clark would never do that. Yet she can't help but think 'Would he?'.

"_There is no harm in checking right?" _the voice helpfully points out.

Right. There is no harm in checking so Buffy gets out of bed and heads off to find Clark. The figure of the First materialises in the empty room. This is almost too easy it thinks to itself. Buffy's pain and grief are making it easy to manipulate her thoughts. Normally the First couldn't do this. Buffy's will would be too strong but right now Buffy's mind is merely a lump of malleable clay for the First to shape as it wants. It vanishes off. It still has work to do. The real fun is only just starting.

As Buffy looks for Clark that voice in her head keeps making her more and more paranoid. What if what she saw in that dream is truth. If it was her slayer nature that made it possible for her and Clark to have a baby then the same would apply to Faith and Faith is not tarnished by the fact that she lost a baby. Not like Buffy did. Her hand goes to her stomach. Ever since she was told she lost the baby she has had this terrible numb, empty feeling there.

"_You know it is inevitable that he and Faith will end up together,"_ the voice says. _"The future Dawn told you so and look at the evidence of your own eyes. Look how nice Faith has been to Clark. How she has been pretending to be his friend so she can wheedle her way into his affections. You know she hasn't really changed. All that has changed is that she is going for a more subtle way of seducing Clark."_

The voice is right Buffy realises.

"_And look at Clark. He admitted to you that beneath his holier than thou exterior that he is just another guy and we both know what all guys really want."_

Yeah and Faith would have no problem letting him get it. God she is stupid. That is what she is. They have probably been at it all this time right under her nose. Anger and burning rage flow through Buffy as she quickens her step. She enters the dinning hall to find Clark and Faith with their arms around each other confirming what she suspected. She vents her fury in 3 loud anger-filled words. "I knew it!!!"

* * *

_Author's Note: I actually originally planned for the First Evil to show up directly after Future Willow's death by having its ghostly form rise out of her to indicate that that it had possessed Willow in some way but in the end by not doing that it allowed me to mess up poor Will more and for it to act in this chapter from the metaphorical shadows without anyone being too suspicious of what is going on. The First Evil is great at being a behind the scenes manipulator IMO. My thanks to all those who wrote reviews._


	46. Part 3 Chapter 21: Aftermath III

Chapter 21: Aftermath III

Faith couldn't get to sleep so right now she is walking into the dining hall to get a snack. Upon entering she finds a very forlorn looking Clark sitting at a table picking at a chicken. She makes her way over to him. "What is it with you and chicken?" she just has to ask since this is the exact same position she found him in last time she couldn't sleep.

Clark looks up, his eyes slightly red from crying. He hadn't even bothered even trying to find a room because he knew he would never manage to get to sleep. "Hey Faith," he says incredibly sadly.

Crap! Faith thinks to herself. She sits herself down across from him. "You and B have a fight?"

Clark smiles very sadly. "That obvious huh?"

Faith just shrugs kind of helpless and at a loss what to say.

Clark rubs his hands across his face. "I don't know how we got into it. I never planned to fight with her. She just said some stuff...I said some things...," he shakes his head. "I don't even know where it came from. I know she is hurting. So am I but she was just being so...so..."

"So what?" Faith asks.

"I don't want to say it. It would make me sound unfeeling which I just have to say I am not."

"She was being totally irrational wasn't she," Faith guesses from what she has seen of Buffy these last few days.

"You said it. Not me." Clark's anger is still simmering below the surface. "It is just...God! The nerve of her to accuse me of even thinking of..." he trails off when he realises the person Buffy accused him of planning to sleep with is across the table.

Faith studies Clark carefully. What in the hell did B say to him to get him this worked up she wonders. Sensing that perhaps she better let him cool off she changes subjects. "How are you feeling...physically?" she asks him.

"A little sore still but I'm alright," he answers.

Which frankly is pretty amazing considering he was a bloody, beaten pulp a few days ago. Faith moves on again. "Xander said that Willow is doing a little better," she mentions.

"That's good," Clark says kinda flatly. "I saw her and Chloe head for bed earlier but I never really noticed how she was doing." He feels kind of guilty about that. It must have appeared in his voice.

"Hey you've got some major stuff to deal with yourself. I'm sure Will would understand."

Clark picks at his chicken some more while Faith herself grabs a bit and pops it in her mouth. Then all of a sudden Clark slams his fist down on the table shattering it.

Whoa and what the hell?! Faith thinks. She tentatively reaches for Clark's fist and takes it in her hand feeling the tension in it. "Clark. What is it?"

Clark looks at her and she can see these tears in his eyes. "I thought she knew me," he says tearfully.

"I'm sure she does. She is just...her mind is screwed up at the moment."

Clark shakes his head. "She said she can't be near me at the minute because I remind her of Karen then when I agree to go find another room so to give her space she insinuates..." God he is almost choked up in rage here. "She insinuates that you would offer me your bed to 'share' and that I would accept."

Faith's eyes widen. She can get what Clark means easily enough. Hell she is the Queen of innuendo but that B would think that Clark of all people would cheat is just nuts. In fact Faith herself is a little insulted. She is not quite the person she use to be. She has not once made a move on Clark and she has no intention to either despite the fact he is definitely screwable. Heck she would have him in her top three totally hot guys she would like to screw before she dies but she doesn't because she respects what Buffy and Clark have. "Why would she think that?" Faith asks him and Clark tells her about what future Dawn said supposedly happened between himself and her after Buffy's death.

"Yeah but that future is gone isn't it?"

"I think so. I hope so."

"I'm sure everything will be alright," she tries to assure Clark. "I mean love conquers all and all that."

"Yeah," Clark says with no real belief. There is this little voice in his head that keeps saying that Buffy will never get over this. That she will never be able to look at him again. Let alone let him touch her. That she will forever flinch at his touch like she did a few hours ago. That they can never get back to what they has before their trip to the future.

The reaction to these thoughts is immediate. Tears roll down Clark's face and it breaks even Faith's hardened heart to see it so she does the only thing she can think of to do and that is to wrap her arms around him and hold him in an attempt to comfort him. Clark wraps his arms around Faith and tries to take what little comfort he can to soothe his broken heart.

"I knew it!!!" an angry accusatory voice shouts out.

Faith and Clark turns their heads to find Buffy at the doorway looking utterly pissed off.

"Knew what exactly?" Clark asks with strange naivety at this point.

"Don't play dumb with me Clark!" Buffy says in a raised voice. "You and her. I know what you were about to do."

Clark looks at Faith and the position they are in and it clicks. "Buffy you can't possible think...," Clark stops for a moment. No-one notices the sliver of red that has suddenly appeared amongst the gold of his own engagement ring or the momentary crimson glow of his eyes. When he starts to speak again his attitude has completely changed. "You know what I don't have to defend myself when I haven't done anything."

Buffy's eyebrows rise up. "Oh I see. In your mind cheating on your fiancée is not wrong. I guess relationships on Krypton were kind of liberal were they."

Faith pulls back from Clark. "B I don't know what you think is going on..."

Buffy cuts her off. "Say one more word Faith and I will finish what I started on that rooftop back when you were working for the Mayor." She is referring to her and Faith's fight to the death when she stabbed Faith right in the gut.

"Alright," Clark says having had enough. "I know you're hurting Buffy but this is just madness."

Buffy laughs a bitter laugh. "Of course. This is all in my mind isn't it. Yeah that's right. I must be back in that mental institution and all this is a delusion."

"Well you are certainly delusional," Clark confirms for her.

Faith watches on noting that both Clark and Buffy are acting way out of character. Something is very, very wrong here.

"You obnoxious, unfeeling, hypocritical, adulterous...ALIEN!!!"

"Is that suppose to be insulting because I hate to break it to you sweetheart but I am an alien," Clark says sounding like his alter ego Kal because he is Kal right now thanks to a certain formless foe that used a little of its power to alter the molecular composition of Clark's engagement ring as well as its continued ability to unknowingly whisper in his ear.

Faith whistles loudly to get both of their attentions. "Alright. Enough!!! You are both under a spell or something so lets just calm down, go wake up our friends and work this out."

"There is nothing to 'work out'," Buffy says with absolute certainty even though a small voice in the back of her mind is screaming at her that something is wrong.

"Oh I have to agree," Clark says with the same certainty. "God. I don't know what the hell I was thinking. Well actually I do I thought you could help me in my wish to help the human race but you know what you can't. Your every solution to a problem is to hit it. You can't help me. All you will do is hinder me."

"Oh that is rich Mister 'I am vulnerable to magic' when 50% of the time it is magic we have to fight. You know what you can't help us either."

"Well boo hoo. See if I care."

"Guys stop!" Faith pleads.

"You stay out of this!" Buffy tells Faith.

"Hey don't you tell her what to do," Clark says in Faith's defence. "She is the one in charge here and she is doing a much better job than you ever could," he says insultingly.

"Oh let me guess she is probably a much better screw as well."

"Probably. I'll put it on my 'To Do' list and let you know afterwards."

Buffy reaches for her engagement ring, yanks it off her finger and throws it at Clark who catches it deftly. "We are through!!!"

"Fine by me!!!"

Buffy then turns on her hells and stomps off. Faith is about to yell after her to stop when her hair is blown aside by a gust of wind. She turns to see Clark is gone. Oh hell. She better wake the gang up and get to the bottom of this. Before she can move though laughter fills the empty dining hall.

"Wow! That went better than I thought I would."

Faith turns to find...what looks like Buffy but obviously ain't. The First. "You. What did you do?!" she demands to know.

The First/Buffy smirks. "Wouldn't you like to know but I will say that this it is not some spell you can just reverse and everything will be fine and dandy. Oh no. It is far more subtle than that. In fact it worked much faster than I thought it would. It just goes to show how deeply their pain runs." The red kryptonite even worked on Kal-El much better than it thought too. After what happened in Paris even the First wasn't sure quite how it would work on Kal-El this time round but it turned out really good. The First/Buffy dusts its hands off. "Well now. It looks like the Last Son and the Slayer's entwined destiny has been broken. Victory will soon be mine Faithie."

"We'll stop you," Faith promises.

"You are welcome to try," the First/Buffy dares before it vanishes.

* * *

"Well Becs?" Faith asks an English Wicca since no way was Red up to this.

Rebecca's brow knit together in concentration. "There is no spell I can sense."

"Well duh!" the subject of Rebecca's scrutiny says. "I could have told you that."

Faith rubs her forehead. "B," she begins to says before she is cut off.

Buffy glares at Faith. "Give me one reason why I haven't hit you yet?"

"Because you are under the influence," Faith replies pointing out what she thinks is the bleeding obvious.

Buffy snorts. "No I ain't. In fact maybe I should thank you for showing me what kind of person Clark really is."

"Buffy you don't mean that," Xander who is standing beside Faith tells her. Faith had caught him up on everything and from what he can see the First has done a real job on his friend. It is like she no longer cares that she just lost her baby and now her fiancé.

Buffy frowns. Doesn't she? That nagging voice in her head feeds her her next line. "It would never have worked out."

Faith swears under her breath. That damn incorporeal personification of evil. What in the hell has it done to Buffy? Faith's attention is caught by Chloe entering the room. She and Xander head over and lead Chloe back outside. "Well?" Faith asks.

Chloe shakes her head. "He isn't answering his phone and no-one has seen him," she answers in reference to Clark. As soon as Faith said what had happened Chloe had been on the phone hunting for Clark without any luck. She shakes her head. "He could be anywhere and if he doesn't want to be found, we won't find him," she unhappily has to admit.

Xander looks back in the room at Buffy. "Ok lets not forget Clark exactly but lets just concentrate on the one person we have at hand. If we can find out what exactly the First has done to Buffy then it might make it easier to undo it on Clark when we find him."

"Good luck there," Faith says in less than total belief that they can accomplish it. She has this terrible nagging feeling that whatever has happened won't be easy to undo. After all even after telling Buffy about what the First said to her Buffy dismissed the possibility of her being influenced out of hand. It doesn't make sense. Buffy knows what the First is like but it is like she simply doesn't wish to fight whatever has been done to her and that is not the Buffy Faith knows. Faith looks at Buffy once more sitting there. What in the hell has the First done to her?

Buffy sits and wonders what Faith, Xander and Chloe are talking about. Probably her and Clark. Anger rises up inside her as she thinks of Clark but under it longing too and a wish he was here and that she was in his arms again. She mentally disregards that second bit. No this is for the better. He wasn't being much help with the whole Cythonna thing anyway. No she can do it better on her own. Yeah so the fact that they have split up is really for the better for both of them.

Buffy's hand moves to her stomach once more. Grief and anguish rise up and she pushes it back down as fast as it rises. She whispers quietly to herself. "I'm sorry Karen but this way is for the better."

A dark chuckle echoes in the aether. Some days, the First thinks to itself, some days it is great to be evil.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Fortress of Solitude Clark is folding up the red and blue uniform he made. It had been a reflection of his Kryptonian heritage which he had come to appreciate a lot more during his year in solitude up here learning all about his people but now he no longer wished to wear it. He hadn't exactly worked out what had happened back in Scotland beyond it seems that he and Buffy are through. Great sorrow fills him yet there is a small voice that wonders if maybe it is for the better. Even if Buffy was to survive the next year his date with death is an immutable fact and is it right for him to subject anyone to a relationship in which he knows that one day he will have to die. Is it right for him to burden anyone with that?

Clark doesn't have the complete answer but he is edging towards no it is not right.

He looks up and around at the last piece of his destroyed homeworld and remembers his mission. The one his father sent him on and that he was to learn to connect to the peoples of Earth. Only now he knows he has a year before a threat greater than Zod, even, will rise. He has a time limit and maybe that is a good as reason as any not to bother trying to see if he can salvage anything with Buffy. That would only delay him, slow him down.

Yes. Alone is better. He finishes folding his uniform before he takes the two engagement rings he has left lying to the side. He looks at them longingly, remembering what it felt like to have that connection, to not feel as alone as he normally does for a short period, before he places them down on top of his uniform. He then takes them, places them inside a drawer, for lack of a better term, and slides the drawer shut. The crystals merge back into one making it look like there was never anything there at all.

Clark then sets about dressing in his new uniform. He had made it before the red and blue one and had thought about wearing it before but thought it was too dark. That it gave off the wrong impression. He was here to lead people not scare or intimidate them but now his mood was such that he could not see himself in the red and blue. At least not for awhile. No black suited his mood more.

He pulls on the black shirt with the representation of his family shield in grey which matches his black pants and boots. Finally he puts on the long black trench coat and stands in front of a reflective piece of crystal that stood in for a mirror. Yes. This is a perfect reflection of his mood yet he can still do what his father meant for him to do. With a nod of his head he turns and walks out into the central chamber of the Fortress. With one quick last look around he bends his knees slightly and shoots upward off to where he knows not yet. Only as long as it is far away from Buffy, Scotland and everyone else he knows. He just wants to be alone for awhile.

Another dark chuckle echoes in the aether. This was perfect. Kal-El was rejecting everyone just as the First had been suggesting in its whispers in his ear. All alone and vulnerable to its influence. Oh it isn't gong to happen over night. It will take months, years even but it is eternal and so is its patience. The First's victory was now only a matter of time.

* * *

Oscar Alvarez was a simple poor man. All he wanted every day was enough food to feed his family. He was also the last of a very, very few who still worshipped the ancient goddess Cythonna. She who had been all but forgotten by history but not his family. It had been passed down every generation that one day Cythonna would rise and for countless generations his family and the few followers that remained had waited patiently. Right now Oscar was about to pack up and head home. For the last few days he had stayed in Cythonna's last remaining temple as was tradition at this time of year. It was a ritual that demonstrated his continuing loyalty to the true Goddess but his stay had come to its end and he was eager to see his family once more.

Oscar picks up his pack. He slings it across his shoulder and turns to leave. As he does so a figure is silhouetted against the light from the entrance. "Hello?" he queries in Spanish.

"There was a time thousands would flock here," the figure with a unmistakably feminine voice says. "Now there is only you Oscar Alvarez."

"How do you know my name?" Oscar asks.

The figure steps closer and the features become visible. It is a woman, a tall powerful looking woman with long white hair that reaches the middle of the woman's back and pupil-less white eyes. Her skin is so pale as to be almost white itself and she wore a skin tight blue outfit of some kind. "Do you not recognise me?" the woman queries with interest.

Oscar's eyes shoot to the left where a faded portrait of the Goddess and then back at the woman in front of him. Instantly he throws himself to the ground in front of her. "Great Goddess," he says humbly. "You have returned."

"To a world that has changed much," Cythonna adds. She turns her gaze to the man, a small insignificant bug compared to her, or he will be once her powers have fully regenerated. A process that will take approximately one orbit of this world around its star. "Tell me how many are left that still believe in me?" she asks Oscar.

He hesitates unsure what he should say.

"That few," Cythonna laments looking into the man's mind.

"Much time has passed," Oscar attempts to explain. "Few are left that have not been converted to the new religions."

"Then we have much work to do," Cythonna announces. "Come. Stand." Oscar does so and as he does so Cythonna's alters her appearance so she resembles a human being although her hair remains white. Cythonna looks at herself. Urgh how awful this is but it is necessary for now. If her ancient enemies still live and hear of her return she is in no position yet to combat them.

"Now," she commands. "You will take me to the few followers that remain. Then I must reacquaint myself with this world. You shall assist me."

"Of course great goddess," Oscar replies instantly in obedience.

With that Cythonna turns to depart her ancient temple with Oscar following her. She steps outside into the sunlight. It has been so long since she last felt the sun upon her she takes a moment to actually savour it. She opens her eyes and looks down on the surrounding jungle. Far too green. She much prefers icy white. Well soon enough she will have the power to reshape this world to her suiting. Soon enough even her ancient enemies, the other gods of this world, will know her wrath. Soon enough the world will once more tremble at the mere mention of her name. Soon enough Cythonna will once again rule and those who do not submit to her greatness will be destroyed. A smile comes to her imitation human face. Oh yes. Soon enough the time of Cythonna will come again and this time no-one be they a god, demon or mortal will stop her.

The End of Part 3.

To be continued in Part 4.

* * *

_Author's Note: I decided that I would call this the end of part 3 of my story and I would end it with Clark and Buffy separated and Cythonna taking her first steps back into the world. I am going to save up the couple's reconciliation and the showdown with Cythonna for part 4. I'll add that the new look Clark picked out for himself is in fact the one they have him wearing in Season 9 of Smallville. I wanted him in black to reflect his mood and the rather downbeat tone of the end of this part of my story. Thank you to all those who wrote reviews. I hope to have part 4 up soon._


	47. Part 4 Chapter 1: Alone We Stand

**The Last Son and the Slayer Part 4**

Summary: Several months have passed since Clark and Buffy broke up and the prophesied rise of Cythonna draws relentlessly nearer. Can Clark and Buffy find their way back to each other and fulfil their entwined destiny or will evil finally triumph?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters I use in this story.

Author's Note: Two years ago I started this story and I'm still here writing it. Taken on a life of its own it has. Anyway here we are back again to my continuing saga of Clark and Buffy where Cythonna will rise and we will find out who will win along with the answer to many other questions. i.e. Will the First succeed in turning Clark to the darkside?_(He is destined to become Superman so take a wild guess at the answer.)_ Will I write a shirtless Oliver scene just because Smallville loves them so?_(Perhaps. I'm not ruling it out. Also it is a hint about seeing the JL again in this part.)_ Will I actually have an arc with Lex in it?_(Answer to this one is yes because Lex is a great villain and he so deserves some 'air-time' to coin a phrase.)_ Can Buffy escape her prophesied death and will Clark and Buffy have a happy ever after?_(You really don't expect me to answer this here and ruin the ending do you?)_ I will add here my thanks to all those who have written reviews up to this point and stuck with me these last 2 years. I hope you will enjoy part 4 of my tale.

* * *

Chapter 1: Alone We Stand

Gaza City, an extremely densely populated piece of land full of varying buildings, many built somewhat poorly, many showing signs of damage caused by the conflicts that plague this part of the world. A figure moves across the rooftops, avoiding the maze of narrow streets and pathways below. Despite being dressed in green leather no-one sees him as he moves closer and closer to his target.

He had been searching for this target for months. It had been dangerous as his target had seemingly wished to be in the worse places this world has to offer. War Zones, places hit by natural disasters. Wherever people were suffering the target would show up and he would go to try and find him but each and every time he thought he had found his target the target was gone upon his arrival but not this time. This time he had him.

He pulls out his crossbow and uses shoots a line across a gap too big for him to leap. He swings over and lands on a balcony. He pushes the window open and can see a figure lying on a bed. His heart rate increases. Finally!

"Hello Oliver," the figure suddenly says.

The hero known as the Green Arrow frowns slightly before he pulls his hood down and takes his shades off. The acquirements that protect his identity of Oliver Queen. "Hello Clark," he says back.

Clark makes a sort of grunt as he swings his legs round and comes to sit upright. "So finally caught up with me," he comments with complete knowledge that Oliver has been chasing him for months.

"You are not an easy man to find," Oliver remarks.

Clark chuckles a little darkly. "Only as easy as I wish to be. You know I heard you coming from a mile away. I let you find me."

Oliver stares at the rather bedraggled figure and that is not a term he usually associates with Clark but with his slightly dirty, tatty clothes, long unkempt hair and a full thick beard Oliver can't think of a better term. "Why?"

Clark's brow knits together. "Why what?"

"Why did you let me find you if you knew I was coming?"

"Because I'm tired of you and your little band of merry men hunting me all over the world," he says with notable annoyance at the fact that everywhere he has gone these last few months Oliver or Bart or Victor or AC or Dinah turn up searching for him.

"And women," Oliver corrects. "We are an equal opportunity organisation."

"Forgive me."

"Clark it is time to stop running," Oliver tells him meaning it is time for Clark to stop running away from his problems.

Clark laughs. "Running! Whose running? I am simply travelling."

"Chloe told me. Told me what happened. About what you lost," Oliver says with sympathy.

Clark fixes Oliver with a deathly gaze that would have made most people urinate themselves. "Time you leave," he states in no uncertain terms.

"Not without you."

Clark gets to his feet so he can use his full height. "Oliver if you are here to give me the 'You shouldn't be alone' speech do yourself a favour; spare me."

"You've been alone Clark. For seven months," Oliver feels the need to point out just how much time has passed since Clark vanished.

"I don't recall asking for or needing anyone's permission to have time to myself Oliver."

"Seven months alone Clark," Oliver repeats. "How is that working out for you by the way? Any closer to finding whatever it is you have been looking for through all those countries we chased after you through? Or are you finally ready to admit that even you, for all your abilities, need help?"

It is true that it has been that long since Clark left the Fortress. At first he continued his original plan of simply travelling, learning about the world's peoples and its cultures but the pain wouldn't leave him. The pain of what he has lost. His daughter. Buffy...so he set out on a new mission. He wanted to find out how other people cope with loss like that so maybe he could find the answer on how to come to terms with it because for some reason he still can't. It is like there is something holding him back, something refusing to allow him to grieve fully and move on so he travelled to where people suffered the most. Into War Zones, in the aftermath of natural disasters and he watched. Watched the people and observed how they rebuilt even after some of them had lost everything. Despite all this though he was no closer than he was when he started. Before his mind can make the leap to maybe he should listen to Oliver a little voice in his head tells him what it thinks he should say. "I need to do this by myself." Yeah he is better off standing alone despite the single unwarranted thought that he wishes Buffy was here. Clark briefly wonders how she is before his attention is caught by Oliver speaking.

"Well then we have a problem don't we Clark because you see I promised your mother I would bring you back and while I may not be quite a paragon of virtue on your level I will not break my word. You are coming back with me Clark whether you want to or not."

Clark laughs with dark amusement at the thought of any mere human trying to make him do anything. He moves so he is right in Oliver's face. "Take your best shot," he dares Oliver.

Oliver is many thing but ill-prepared is not one of them. He promised Clark's mother, he had promised Chloe, that he would bring Clark back willingly or not so that they could help him and in case of not he brought a piece of kryptonite. Oliver is just about to get it when he spots something odd about the door behind Clark. It is turning to...ice!?

* * *

Meanwhile back at Slayer HQ Faith is watching Buffy training with a few of the newbies although it is hardly fair to call them newbies anymore. They have all been slayers for approaching 2 years now. Well she can call them the ones with the least experience. While Faith has remained in overall charge Buffy has been throwing herself into every assignment she can. Ever since Clark left she has been doing the really horrible, dark stuff that even Faith hates doing but comes as part of being a slayer. As Faith said to Clark once sometimes doing this job involves doing some really nasty shit. Fighting and killing things without remorse or pity because the things they are fighting are simply that debauched and evil that the only solution is to slaughter them and that is what Buffy has been volunteering herself to do. Well when she is not totally obsessing over Cythonna that is.

Buffy requested to be put in charge of the task force that is hunting for Cythonna and for the sake of peace Faith had agreed to the request and for the seven months since Clark and Buffy broke up and Clark vanished it has been Buffy's obsession to find the Goddess and for seven long months they have not been able to find a solid lead which somehow only makes Buffy more obsessed and determined to find Cythonna and when they fail to find her that is generally when Buffy volunteers to take one of those dark jobs. She retreats into the emotionless killer that lies within all slayers. Into the spirit of the original slayer. She never lets out her true emotions anymore. Even Faith can see how unhealthy that is.

The worse thing is that time is running out though as it seems events are proceeding just as they were foretold to. There are stirrings in the underworld just like the future Dawn told Buffy there would be. Cythonna it seems has begun gathering those who are willing to follow her into a coherent movement, into an army essentially, and those that don't...well recently they have found more and more demon hideouts frozen solid in blocks of ice and the demons within frozen and then shattered into thousands of pieces. There aren't many types of demons that can survive that kind of damage so it is a highly effective way of killing them.

Buffy knocks the last girl she is sparring with on her ass and signals that that is it for today. "Ok not bad but there is still room for improvement." She address the whole group "All of you back here first thing tomorrow," she orders which is met by a collective groan as they slowly march out.

"A little hard on them weren't ya," Faith comments and B was. She was all business now and no fun. Even her clothes had come to reflect it. Out had gone anything that might be construed as frivolous which the old Buffy would have considered an absolute must. No her clothes were dull and merely practical. Even her hair was kept in an almost permanent ponytail so it never got in her face.

Buffy moves beside Faith and picks up her bottle of water. "In your opinion," she responds somewhat dismissively before she takes a sip of water.

"How long are you going to keep this up B?"

"Keep what up?"

"This pretence that everything is alright."

"Everything is alright."

"Ah. So it is alright that you lost your baby and your fiancé."

For an instant Buffy's face darkens but it is only for an instant before she shrugs her shoulders and says "Things happen. You know that. Things happen and we just have to learn to live with them and I have. I mean frankly lets face it I'm better off without him."

Faith shakes her head. For seven damn months they have been trying to reach Buffy through whatever the First has done to her. Seven months and they don't seem any closer to solving the conundrum. "B one day I hope you realise that you are being played and for what it is worth to you I hope that that day comes before it is too late." With that Faith leaves.

Buffy stares at the door for a few minutes. What does Faith know anyway. Yes losing her baby hurt but so did having to send Angel to hell,losing her mom, watching Spike die and a hundred other things she would rather not have endured but she is still here. Her pain is not important right now. Saving the world is and that needs her total attention at the moment.

"Tick Tock. Tick Tock."

Buffy frowns and turns to find a figure that looks like Clark holding a ridiculously oversized clock. This clock varies however as at the 12 o'clock position is the word 'Death' meaning her own. "Don't you have better things to do."

The First/Kal smirks. "Nope can't think of anything right now. Besides don't you work best under pressure. I think a gentle reminder that your time grows short would be a good motivator."

"Is that thing still valid?" she has to ask. "After all aren't I suppose to die saving Clark and since he and I are no more that doesn't seem to apply any longer."

The First/Kal laughs. "Oh come now. You can fool others and even yourself for awhile but we both know that when you see Clark about to be struck down that you will throw yourself in front of him regardless of what has transpired between the two of you. We both know that you would do it for anyone no matter how much they pissed you off. I mean that is what a hero does. They selflessly lay down their lives for others."

Buffy glares at her frequent tormentor for the past seven months. It is correct of course. If she has to she will sacrifice her life but she still has time. If she can find Cythonna before the so-called prophesied time than she can end this before some great battle where she dies and Chloe dies and who knows how many others die and she can make sure Willow doesn't go off the deep end and prevent that future she saw from ever transpiring. "I've got things to do," she says dismissing her tormentor and turning to leave.

"Oh yes of course. I forgot that little Miss Ahab has to hunt her whale," the First/Kal wryly remarks.

Buffy stops, her brow knitting together in a frown. "This isn't about revenge."

"But it is an obsession. Mr Melville's little tale is as much about obsession as it is revenge." The First/Kal moves next to her and whispers in her ear. "And tell me Buffy how does it end? Hmm. What does Ahab's obsession lead to? I'll tell you. It leads to him losing his ship, his crew, his own life."

Buffy turns her head to look at the First. "You trying to caution me off my path?" she queries with some confusion because that is what it sounds like.

The First/Kal shakes its head. "Nope. Not at all because Ahab's obsession does allow him to find the white whale whereas a man with less determination would never have done so."

"So if I am obsessed I can find Cythonna?"

The First/Kal smirks. "Never said that either."

Buffy growls. It is confusing her, mixing her up. "I hate you!"

The First/Kal smiles. "Good. Big fan of hate personally. Embrace your hate Buffy. Only with it can you find the power to win."

Buffy rolls her eyes. "That's off Star Wars."

"No it ain't," the First/Kal protests.

"Oh it may not be it word for word but I've seen the movies enough times to know that is the general flow of when they are trying to turn Luke. Frankly if that is the best you can come up with I would say you're losing your touch."

The First/Kal snorts in a huff. "Well just remember this slayer. Your time draws short and the place you vacated in the hereafter awaits your return. The only question is will you end up in the Light or in the Darkness with me."

"What? No offer to spare my life in exchange for joining you or something?" Buffy asks almost insulted.

"Why waste an offer like that on someone who isn't all that important," the First/Kal says trying to dismiss Buffy's importance. The First morphs into Buffy. "Wow. That like totally crushed my ego," it mocks in an over-the-top air-headed impression of Buffy.

Buffy has had enough of this for today. She has more important things to do. She turns her back to the First and marches out of the training room. She needs to get back to her search for Cythonna. Last rumour they had heard was that she was somewhere in the Middle East and despite how many of her fellow slayers there are now Buffy can't help but feel the necessity that for this battle she must stand alone. That is fine by her. It wouldn't be the first time. On her way a brief thought enters her head no matter how much she doesn't want it to. That thought being she can't help but wonder how Clark is.

* * *

The Goddess Cythonna wanders through the alleys and walkways of the place now called Gaza City in the guise of a human. Her true form could be quite overwhelming for mortals and for the moment she still wished not to draw unnecessary attention to herself. Especially the attention of her ancient enemies that she knows are still around somewhere. As she looks around she thinks she may have wandered this part of the Earth before back in her prime countless centuries ago.

Seven months ago by the current human calendar she awoke from her long slumber. She had been forced into it by her defeat in a war against this world's native gods. Particularly the ones who referred to themselves as the Olympians. They almost killed her she must admit. Her slumber allowed her to slowly heal over the course of time. Once fully restored she would have her revenge and those bunch of arrogant, self-indulgent, indolent gods would fall by her hand.

Now she has awakened her powers had been regenerating. In 5 more months she would be fully restored and ready to make her presence known to the world. Ready to wage war on the Olympians and all others who opposed her. If need be she would stand alone against them but that is not her desire. That is why she had spent the time and effort gathering followers amongst the hidden classes of this world. The disenfranchised humans of the world who had been forgotten. The cast-offs. What humans called demons. Those that agreed to follow her would be rewarded. Those that refused she destroyed so as to keep her return secret for as long as she wishes it to remain so.

Cythonna would need an army upon the appointed day. Humans had advanced much and adopted many new religions since she was last awake, some fanatically so, and that would mean that millions would never bow down to her. They would fight to the death. So be it. The survivors of that war to come would bow down to her. They would have no choice if they wished to continue to live.

It is recruiting followers that brings her to this place. Rumours had reached her of a being, one of seemingly almost god-like power. She had first heard of this being from a demon who served the entity that refers to itself as the Wolf, the Ram and the Hart. It had been part of an army that had been sent to kill a vampire that had defied the Wolf, Ram and Hart and it told her of what appeared like a man that flew and could shoot fire from its eyes and possessed possibly limitless strength and speed.

Very interesting.

Cythonna needed to find this being. If it was as powerful as it seemed to be then she would much prefer it to be on her side than her having to fight it.

Finding it had proved difficult. She heard stories, rumours, but whenever she got there there was no sign but this time is different. It is here. She can feel it. Feel its immense power. Cythonna moves swiftly into a building and up some stairs. She comes to a locked door. She places her hand on it and using a fraction of her power turns the door to ice. It then simply shatters. She steps inside to find what is obviously simply a mortal dressed in some kind of green outfit and in black the being she is no doubt searching for.

The man in black turns round and as he does so Cythonna notices a symbol on his chest. A Kryptonian symbol. A symbol from a race of beings she utterly despised with every fibre of her being as they were responsible for destroying her planet and her own creations, her own children. In an instant her human guise falls away and she takes her true form. "Who are you that wears that mark?!" she demands to know.

The man in black takes a few seconds to appraise her appearance which she knows must be overwhelming to most before he does something Cythonna least expected. He laughs. He actually dares to laugh at her. She is outraged. "You dare mock me?!"

"Oh no I'm not mocking you Cythonna," the man in black responds.

Cythonna is caught slightly off guard. "You know who am I?"

"I've heard the stories and seen your image," he explains.

"Who are you?" she repeats and that alone is an insult to her. A Goddess should never have to repeat themselves.

"I am Kal-El...of Krypton."


	48. Part 4 Chapter 2: Alien vs God Round 1

Chapter 2: The Alien and the Goddess; Round 1

Clark had laughed. He couldn't help himself once the woman who had burst in shifted her appearance. He recognised it of course. He had looked over every bit of data contained in the Fortress that pertained to Cythonna after he had learned in the future that she would rise and that he would fight her. That data included some ancient images of her. He laughed because it was just so...ironic he guesses is the word. The great big threat they had been warned about and here she is bursting into his room unannounced. Yep it was definitely funny. However Clark can guess now the funny part is over and the violent part is about to begin. Fine by him. It suits his current mood.

Cythonna could barely believe her ears. It was impossible. They were dead. She felt them die. All of them. How come she didn't sense their presence before if they had survived unless...

...unless their number was so few she had to be in close proximity to sense them. That is when it occurs to her. "You are the last," she announces.

Clark says nothing in response.

Cythonna now laughs as she fully absorbs the situation she finds herself in. This was too perfect. "The last son of Rao. Tell me Kal-El do you know what your name means?"

Clark isn't sure how that is relevant but he answers it anyway. "Star Child."

"Very good." Cythonna takes in Kal-El's appearance. Minus the long hair and the beard she can tell he would be a perfect example of a Kryptonian male and while she does hate Kryptonians this situation is one she never considered. He is the only one left and she can well remember the power they possess under a yellow sun. That is why she turned the sun red in the first place during the ancient Wars of Fire and Ice. He could prove useful and for that usefulness she is willing to overlook her hatred. "I shall make you an offer Kal-El. Join me."

Clark looks at her sceptically.

"You and I Kal-El are all that is left of our entire solar system...of our two cultures. Now what makes more sense to you. That we fight each other until one of us is dead or that we work together in bringing much needed order to this world." Cythonna looks him over once more. "I might even consider siring a child with you. Something no-one on this planet can do."

"Uh huh," Clark says. "And say, hypothetically, I agree to join you what will be do exactly. Rule over this world as gods?"

"I am a god," she states with forceful conviction. "And you are as close as any mortal can dream of being."

"Riiight."

"Clark," Oliver begins to say before he is cut off.

"Silence mortal!" Cythonna commands. "This has nothing to do with you. This between me and Kal-El."

Clark pushes Oliver back a bit. "She's right. This is between me and her. You stay out of this."

"And do what Clark? Stand by while you throw away everything you believe in?"

"Maybe the world would be better with us in charge." Clark must admit that as he travelled and saw all the misery and suffering it occurred to him that if someone like him ran things they could just step in and end all these wars and conflicts. For Clark it would only take the merest fraction of his power.

Cythonna smiles. "Yes. That is good Kal-El and you are correct. With us ruling over it we could turn this world into a paradise."

"Where everyone lives only to serve you no doubt," Oliver says disrespectfully as he moves round so he can look Clark in the eye and as he does so he can see the pain and anguish so clearly written in his eyes it is almost astounding. "Clark you listen to me. You don't believe in what she is proposing. You know you don't."

Clark's face darkens. "Don't presume to tell me what to think Oliver," he warns with a dangerous undertone to his voice.

"I'm not. All I'm trying to remind you is of the values you were raised with. Is this what your father would have wanted you to become? Is this the man that Jonathan Kent raised?"

At the mention of his father something changes inside Clark. His father would never want what Cythonna is proposing. His eyes dart back and forth as he tries to work it out. What has he become?

After thinking on it for a good long moment Clark's face sets in stone. "Get out of the way Oliver," he orders.

"Clark no," Oliver starts before some unseen force tosses him aside. It was Cythonna.

"You heard him mortal. I can see you will never obey us. I will rid us of you now." She raises her hands which glow white and the temperature in the room noticeably drops.

"No," Clark says and Cythonna looks at him.

"You want the pleasure of ridding us of this insect for yourself," she thinks he means. "Very well," she allows.

Clark half-smiles. "No."

"What do you mean?" Cythonna demands to know.

"I mean no."

"What does it mean?!" she once again demands to know.

"It means no," Clark says in an infuriating manner. "Because I'm going to stop you Cythonna. Right here. Right now. You may be a god but I am Kal-El, Last Son of the planet Krypton. However more importantly than that I am Clark Kent, son of Jonathan and Martha Kent, and while I know you have no idea what that means I guarantee by the time we are done here you will."

Cythonna visibly stews with fury at Kal-El's rejection. How dare he!!! She is a God. "You are as arrogant and conceited as the rest of your people were," she grits out barely in control of her anger. "And now I will condemn you to join the rest of your pitiful race in extinction!"

From her eyes comes beams with the ability to freeze anything. If Clark possessed such an ability he would have probably called it freeze vision or maybe ice vision but Clark doesn't possess such an ability. However the heat vision he does possess is quickly put to use as the two opposite powers clash. Where they meet steam pours off in all directions.

Cythonna can tell that this tussle of powers is getting nowhere. She is going to have to do this the old fashioned way; with her own two hands. In a blur of motion too fast for any mortal to see, and Oliver doesn't, she charges at Kal-El, slams into him and the two of the smash through the wall and outside.

All Oliver knows of what has occurred is that the two super-beings have vanished leaving a hole in the wall and himself covered in dust. It makes him cough as he heads to the hole to look outside. What he sees outside is that up in the sky are two blurs. One black and one white. What he feels is the shock-waves as the two blurs, he assumes, exchange blows. Clark may have not chosen to join Cythonna but if Oliver doesn't find a way to stop the two of them their battle will end up destroying everything.

* * *

In another place the battle also does not go unnoticed. A place of grand marble palaces floating amongst the clouds. This place is Olympus. Home of the Olympian Gods. Standing there looking down at the world below is Zeus, king of the Gods, worry deeply etched on his face.

"What it it my husband?" his wife Hera asks him having found him in staring down at the world in what she would call an almost agitated state.

"Cythonna," he all but growls out. "Cythonna has returned."

Hera turns her gaze to what her husband is looking at and there she is. The being she and her other Gods fought countless centuries ago in a long, hard war. One Hera had no wish to ever repeat but what intrigues her at the moment is not Cythonna but the being she is fighting. She had never seen a being like that before. "What manner of creature is he?" she asks her husband.

"One from far outside our influence my Queen. One from far across the stars. I have seen others of his kind visit Earth periodically over the centuries. They are called Kryptonians."

Hera look on as the Kryptonian battles Cythonna showing some very impressive abilities. Great strength and speed. The ability to fly. He could rival some of her own children. "What do we do?" she asks her husband. Once long ago it would have been an easy answer. They would have intervened directly but that time had long since past. Apart from one lone place the peoples of Earth no longer worshipped them and as a result the Gods of Olympus had thus long ago decided that they would no longer take direct action as it pertained to mankind.

Zeus looks on and beyond into the future. Of what will happen if Cythonna is not stopped. Not only to mankind but to themselves. He knew Cythonna would seek her revenge upon them eventually. "This will not be the decisive battle," he announces. "There will be another where the fate of mankind will be decided." And not so coincidentally their own. He has to tip the odds in favour of Cythonna's enemies. An idea strikes him. He looks at his wife. "It is time for your Chosen One to leave her island home. She will partake in the final battle and afterwards she may be allowed to remain and attempt to teach her people's ideals to mankind."

"Her mother will not be pleased about that," Hera warns.

"Her pleasure nor her approval are sought. This is my decree."

"Very well but why let her remain afterwards?"

"The balance is shifting. The forces of Good and Evil are preparing for their last Great Battle and even we may not survive if the Forces of the First Darkness prevail. If mankind is not steered towards embracing a better path then it shall prevail. We cannot let that happen yet we said we would no longer directly interfere. This is the solution to the quandary. Besides was your Chosen not gifted with powers by the Goddesses?"

"Yes she was but she is unprepared to fight a God."

"Then prepare her," Zeus commands. "We have time. A few short months. It is time enough."

Hera bows. "As you wish my King." She then vanishes to make her trip to the one place the Gods of Olympus are still worshipped; Themyscira. As Hera descends down to the island the thought enters her head that Queen Hippolyta is really, really not going to like this. When it comes to her daughter Diana Hippolyta is very protective but if Zeus decrees it then it shall be done.

* * *

Oliver is dashing through the narrow streets while overhead Clark and Cythonna's battle causes shock-waves that are shaking the very ground Oliver is running over causing cracks to appear in the buildings around him. He has to stop this somehow before innocent people die. Suddenly a figure ploughs into a building in front of him causing it to collapse. As Oliver nears it he finds Clark hovering above it, his arms folded across his chest, waiting.

Cythonna pushes the rubble on top of herself off and pulls herself up until she is standing on top of the ruined building. She finds Kal-El hovering there waiting his face a cold mask unrevealing of his emotions. This is an intolerable situation. Beaten by a Kryptonian...a Kryptonian of all things. This fight has come too soon; before her powers have fully regenerated and while Kal-El is in full possession of his. She wipes a drop of her ice cold blue blood from her lips and tries not to dwell on the indignity that she, a Goddess, is in some real actual pain right now. She awaits Kal-El's next move while she calculates her own.

Clark stares down at his opponent and has to say she does not look like much of a goddess right now. Pain, rage and anger that he has been storing up inside him for months is bubbling up to the surface and in a moment he is going to unleash it and put an end to this right here, right now. His eyes begin to glow ominously in response. "Do you yield Cythonna?" Clark asks of her knowing what her answer will be.

Cythonna laughs bitterly. "Yield to you. Never!" she yells defiantly. "I will never yield to any Kryptonian. I gave you a chance for greatness Kal-El and you rejected me. I will see you on your knees before me just before I put an end to your existence."

"The only one whose existence is ending today is yours Cythonna."

"Fool!" she insults him. "I am a God and Gods cannot die!"

Clark smiles maliciously. "Lets put that to the test shall we."

Oliver can't believe he just heard Clark Kent say that. What in the hell has gotten into him?

Cythonna summons up her powers and her hands glow. She can see Kal-El tense himself but her aim is not to hit him. A beam of white energy hits the building right next to where Oliver is standing and the structure freezes, the walls cracks and it begins to lean in preparation to collapse right on top of Oliver which will kill him and probably many of the people inside.

Cythonna states Kal-El's choice. "Make your choice Kal-El. Save your friend or let him die while you try to kill me."

Clark eyes dart quickly between his two choices. He has slipped into superspeed so everything is moving in slow motion from his perspective as the building's lean increases ever so slowly towards the tipping point.

"Kill her!"

Clark turns his head to find Buffy or what looks like Buffy floating next to him.

"Come on Clark. What is a few people, even your so-called friend there, compared to destroying your people's most ancient enemy?"

As the building leans more Clark still can't make up his mind for some reason.

The faux Buffy continues "This is your chance Clark. You're more powerful than she is right now. If you let her go you may not get another chance to save me. Aren't I more importnat than anyone else?"

Clark looks at her with a frown. "Buffy would always choose to save other people over herself," he just has to point out. "You are really bad at this aren't you."

The First in its Buffy's form ends up with her mouth agape at Clark's mocking.

Clark shakes his head annoyed at his own indecision. It isn't just what Buffy would do. As Oliver reminded him what would his father want him to do. Therefore his choice is simple. Choice made Clark zooms down next to Oliver and using his sheer raw strength catches the building and holds it up. When he turns to look at where Cythonna was he finds that she is gone. Vanished without trace.

Oliver has to blink at Clark's sudden appearance. "Um thanks," he says caught rather of-guard.

"No problem but it would be a good idea if someone would evacuate the building. The damage is too great to repair."

Just then men Oliver would call men of violence appear aiming guns at both him and Clark. To Oliver's surprise Clark looks at them hard and speaks to them in their language while still holding up the whole building.

"You have to make a choice. Try to kill us or save the people in this building and there are women and children in there so choose wisely."

Oliver doesn't hold out much hope that they will listen to Clark. Unfortunate but true is that many of the problems of this region is the tendency of people to resort to violence rather than dialogue but to Oliver's amazement they stow their guns and rush inside the building to help evacuate it. Oliver has no idea how Clark did it but if can manage to do that here of all places then Oliver can only imagine what Clark could accomplish in the wider world once his mind is back to its more proper setting.

Once the building is empty Clark allows it to fall making sure it doesn't knock any other buildings over in the process or that any flying debris injuries anyone. That done they both decide it is best they don't stick around and Oliver finds himself being picked up and flown by Clark to his yacht that is anchored off the coast.

They move down below deck where Clark slumps onto a couch. "She got away."

Oliver knows who he means. "Better that than innocent people dying Clark. You do realise what would have happened had the two of you continued that much longer."

A pained expression comes to Clark's face that shows he does know and that Oliver has really hit the mark there. "She'll be back and maybe more people will get hurt or die next time," he says expressing a fear.

"Maybe. Maybe not. There is no point in dwelling on what might happen. Besides next time maybe you'll allow others to help you."

Clark places his hands over his face. "What have I become Oliver? You were right before about what would my father think of what I have become. I have utterly failed to live up to his memory."

"Clark you went through hell from what Chloe tells me. You have the right to go a little off the rails but running away from your friends and those that only wanted to help you was the totally wrong thing to do."

Clark chuckles suddenly. "I bet Chloe used the term dumb-ass didn't she?"

"I will neither confirm nor deny that under penalty of Chloe's wrath." Of course in reality Clark is spot on. That is exactly what Chloe said.

"She was beautiful you know. My daughter."

Oliver sits down next to Clark. "I'm sure she was," he says sympathetically.

"Now...she will never exist."

"You and Buffy are really done?"

Clark shakes his head unable to give Oliver a definite answer to that one. "You know I can barely even remember now why we were so angry at each other. I get the pain over losing Karen but not the anger or the irrational accusations."

"It is a woman's prerogative to be irrational Clark," Oliver points out from his personal experience.

"We were played," Clark states.

"What?"

"I'm pretty certain we were played, that we were deliberately driven apart. I never really thought about it the last seven months but I just worked it out." It was the First's appearance during the fight that has suddenly just made it click in Clark's head.

"Then why don't you just go back to Buffy of that is the case," Oliver suggests to his friend.

"Because it still hurts Oliver and I'm not sure what to do that would allow us to get back together. Even knowing what I think I know maybe it is for the best we don't bother trying to fix it."

"Or maybe you should at least try," Oliver suggests.

"Maybe you're right," Clark is willing to concede. "Maybe I'm right. All I know for certain right now is that I just want to go home. I need just a little more time to sort myself out before I tread into that emotional minefield if that is what I choose to do."

Oliver feels great sympathy for his friend but at least he succeeded in doing what he promised. "Ok Clark. Lets go home."

Oliver stands up to get his yacht under way when Clark stops him. "Oliver I mean home to the States. Not home home. I'm not ready to face everyone yet."

"Alright Clark. How about you come home with me to Star City. I do have this huge mansion that I'm pretty certain I could squeeze you in somewhere," Oliver says with light humour.

Clark manages a smile. "That sounds nice."

Oliver turns to leave but Clark stops him again.

"Oliver."

"Yes?"

"Thank you...for coming for me."

Oliver replies rather modestly for him. "That's what friends are for Clark but I will have to at least let the other know I found you and that you are safe."

Clark nods. "I know just don't tell them where they can find me yet."

"Done," Oliver agrees before this time he does get to go and start the yacht up.

Clark watches Oliver go and then looks across the room and sees his reflection in a mirror. When Oliver mention his father it was like Clark suddenly saw himself in a mirror, not a literal one, and saw what he had allowed himself to fall into. Oh and The First may have had something to do with it considering its appearance. In any case Clark just needs some time to get himself back in a right frame of mind before he even contemplates trying to see if he and Buffy can salvage anything from their relationship. Clark's hand goes up to his face and feels his thick beard as he takes in just how scruffy he looks. First thing he is going to do when they get back to the states, he decides, is to get rid of this thing and cut his hair. God what was he thinking allowing it to get this long? That proves without doubt just how messed up he has allowed himself to become. He has a lot of work to do to right things now but he will do whatever it takes and in doing so make his father proud of him once again.

In the mirror Clark also sees the faux Buffy is back. "This isn't over Kal-El," the First/Buffy warns him.

"Maybe not but one thing is that I'm done listening to you," Clark tells it. "Oh and you can leave Buffy alone as well while you are at it."

"You don't tell me what to do Kal-El. You have no power over me."

"No but by simply refusing to do what you want I weaken you. The only power you really have is what others give you."

Not quite true."

"Close enough."

"Cythonna will return and Buffy will die."

"We'll see."

"Yes we shall," the First says with dark foreboding.

"Are you done?" Clark asks dismissively. "Or do you have some terribly other clichéd sayings to lay on me?"

"We'll meet again," the First/Buffy warns him.

"I'll be waiting," Clark assures it. The First then vanishes from the mirror and Clark slumps back into the sofa like all his strength has deserted him. His mind finally seems clearer than it has for months and for the first time in months tears for all he has lost begin to roll down his cheeks soaking his beard. At long last he is finally grieving and all it took was for him to accept his friend's help and not run away. The very thing he should have done in the first place.

As the yacht heads for Cyprus where Oliver's private jet is the First looks on and fumes. Dammit! Kal-El is suppose to stay away from his friends. Not go home to them. It may have to admit to underestimating Kal-El's strength of will. Oh well. It still has time and if all else fails it still has the moment where Buffy will face her death. At that moment the First can offer Kal-El the power to save her in exchange for embracing it into his soul only this time, unlike before, he won't be able to rid himself of it. That can work because Kal-El still loves Buffy deep down. Whether he is prepared to make that kind of compromise to his principles is an open question even for the First. Of course in the meantime what it must make sure of is that there is no way Buffy can avoid that fate. Yes that is what it will concentrate its efforts on right now. Closing all the other possible futures to ensure Ms Summers' death is one she cannot avoid and therefore giving Kal-El the one choice he cannot avoid making. Yes the First can still make this work and ensure its ultimate victory over everything that is good.

* * *

Elsewhere the Goddess Cythonna had returned to her ancient temple in Honduras to 'lick her wounds' as the human saying goes. Infernal Kryptonian. His time will come and her revenge will be swift and merciless. She will bide her time for the moment and allow herself to heal from their battle first before she confronts him again but confront him where.

_'Where does he live?' _she asks herself. He must have a home somewhere. If she can find it and surprise him then next time she will be victorious. There must be clues somewhere as to where she can find him. She will use her followers to search this world for some sign she decides. Also he called himself by another name. A human name. She will have her followers look into that as well. She will find him. This she vows.

Cythonna looks out from her temple up to the sky and speaks as if he was there. "Soon Kal-El. Very soon. We shall meet again and this time I will make sure that Rao's Last Son will stand in my way no longer. You shall regret refusing my extremely generous offer of overlooking the past and allowing you to join me. Your end shall come at my hands. This I swear on the memory of my children whom your race butchered. In their name I promise I shall destroy you and all that you hold dear in this world."

* * *

_Author's Note: Since Cythonna is the opposite of Rao I thought I would give her an ability the opposite of Clark. Hence the ice or freeze vision. I also decided that I would just get right into it and have what is only the first round of Clark's battle with Cythonna. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews._


	49. Part 4 Chapter 3: Road to Recovery

Chapter 3: Road to Recovery

"Report!" Buffy barks as she enters the 'War Room' at Slayer HQ. Her loud voice makes everyone in the room jump just a little bit.

Willow starts a little bit flustered. Buffy's no nonsense, all business attitude is really disconcerting. "Um we have the report from the incident in Gaza."

"And?" Buffy asks impatiently just wanting Willow to get to the point.

"From the description of the combatants we can reasonably assume one of them was Cythonna."

"And the other?" Buffy asks wondering if perhaps they have yet another foe they must face down.

Willow coughs in obvious discomfort at what she is about to say. "He was described as male with long dark hair. He was strong, fast, could fly and seemed to shoot fire from his eyes."

Willow then watches as Buffy's whole face and demeanour changes instantly. For the last 7 months she had been so hard and cold Willow was starting to wonder if Buffy was allowing herself to feel anything at all but at the description she just gave, the description that could only be one person, Willow can see the mask crack for a second. The first time it has done that. There is still pain but unless Willow is utterly mistaken for a moment she thought she saw longing too. Before she can get a better read Buffy puts her mask back on.

"I see," Buffy says blandly. "Any word on where Cythonna went?

Willow shakes her head. "Nope. Vanished without trace."

Buffy's eye twitches Willow notes in what she guesses is annoyance and frustration. "Keep on it. We have to find her."

"And what about him? Are we going to try and find him?" Faith throws in.

Buffy's eye does that twitchy thing again. "_He _knows where to find us if he wants to."

An unseen, to everyone but Buffy, manifestation of Clark appears next to her. "That's right you tell her," it says supportively. "He isn't and hasn't been here to help you through this has he? You don't need him. You don't need anyone."

Faith throws her hands up in frustration. "Did it ever occur to you that he might be waiting for you to find him?"

"Why? He and I are done."

"You go girlfriend," the First tell her.

"Oh for Gods sake!" Faith exclaims. "Can't you even say his damn name?"

"Faith we are not having this argument again," Buffy warns her off.

"What is it going to take for you to show that you still love him? Does he have to be lying dying somewhere for you to show some morsel of feeling? Or have you turned into such an ice queen bitch that you could care less if he dies or not? I mean what does it take for you to show feelings these days? You got to lose another baby?"

Everyone in the room backs up leaving a clear path between Buffy and Faith because it seems Faith is deliberately trying to provoke Buffy...which she is.

Buffy's eye twitches more ferociously than before. She grinds out from between her teeth. "Don't you ever judge how or how I do not feel Faith!"

Faith inwardly smirks. At last! She has got a damn reaction and now that she has she isn't letting up. "B do you actually know me at all and in case it slipped your memory technically I am in charge around here. I **allow **you to lead the search for Cythonna but you know I can assign someone else to it. Kennedy maybe."

Anger clouds Buffy's features. "Faith you even dare and you and I will have a serious problem," she warns her fellow slayer.

"We already have a serious problem B. You."

Buffy slams her fist down on the table which cracks it in half. "I'm doing what I need to to win!!!" she screams.

"You are doing what you think won't cause you anymore hurt!" Faith yells back. "That is what the First did didn't it. It allowed you to run away from your pain like a weak pathetic scared little girl. Grow up B! You are a god damn Slayer!"

Buffy lets out a scream before she physically leap at Faith and the two of them end up in a heap on the ground where Buffy proceeds to reign blows down on Faith. "Shut up!" she screams at her. "You have no idea what I went through! What I suffered!"

Faith manages to kick Buffy away and she flips back to her feet while Buffy does the same. "Oh and my life has been a bed of roses," she argues with her not so deft sarcasm. "Hello! Drunk Mother! Abusive Father! Watcher killed in front me! Any of this ringing a bell?"

Buffy actually lets out what sounds like a low growl before attacking Faith again. "I lost my baby daughter!" she screams in between blows. By now tears are streaming down Buffy's face. "I lost her! I failed her! Don't you get that?!"

Buffy's blows start to have less and less force and she struggles to speak. "I failed her...I..." Buffy topples over into Faith's arms who catches her and lowers her to the ground while Buffy openly sobs. "She was so beautiful," she says with desperate longing.

"I'm sure she was," Faith replies doing her best to comfort Buffy which is so not her thing.

"Why? Why was she taken away from me?"

Faith can only say in response as Buffy continues to sob "Shit happens B. Whether we want it to or not it happens. All we can do is make sure that at the end of everything that we are the ones still on our feet fighting the good fight."

The First looks down at the sobbing figure now looking like Buffy's lost daughter Karen. "She was taken away because you didn't deserve her."

Everyone in the room looks at the now visible to everyone figure.

"You!" Faith spits in fury knowing who it is. "Go take a hike!"

The First/Karen flicks her blond hair back. "Nope. Don't think so but congratulations auntie Faith. You got mom to feel something again. Should have guessed you would have been able to annoy someone enough to force a break out of their repressed emotions."

Buffy still sobbing looks up at the image of her daughter. "Go away," she almost pleads in a pained whisper.

"Why would I do that mom? Don't you want to be reminded how you failed me," the First/Karen says particularly nastily.

"I'm sorry," Buffy says through her sobs.

"No," Faith cuts in. "Don't apologise to this thing B. It wasn't your fault. You didn't, couldn't have known you were pregnant. Look inside yourself and ask if what Karen would have wanted is what her mother has become. Now answer me. Is it?"

It takes quite a few moments before Buffy manages to answer. "No."

Faith manages a smile. That's the Buffy she was looking for. She glares at the First. "You're done here. Leave!" she orders.

The First/Karen snorts. "You have no power over me just like I was telling dear old daddy."

Buffy's mind works overtime. Oh God she has been royally played she realises. Clark too. She wipes some tears from her face and gets back to her feet so she can look her faux daughter in the eye. "Faith is right. You are done here."

"Am I? I think you will find that I have barely begun Slayer." Any trace at pretending to be Karen has gone apart from the image. "Nothing has changed. Your fate is sealed."

"If that were true you wouldn't be spending so much time manipulating me and Clark," Buffy wisely remarks.

The First/Karen smirks and then morphs into Buffy wearing the same expression. "Believe what you want. My interest in Kal-El is a long term one. After all compared to you he is practically immortal. I can wait for a very long time for him to see things my way."

"You're lying," Buffy states. Like she said it wouldn't be putting this much effort in if that were true. "Go. I'm done listening to you. I'm done talking to you," she says with what sounds like disgust at having to do that very thing.

"Well I'm not done with you yet Buffy. You may not see me but I will be around and if you think you can save Clark you're wrong. Either you will die or he will join me to save you. In either case I win."

"You will lose like you always lose like every time we have beaten you before. Now get lost."

"Very well I will go but we shall meet again."

"I'll be here...waiting," Buffy promises.

The First vanishes leaving Buffy there breathing hard before she loses all her strength and Faith is forced to catch her once more as they fall to the floor where Buffy begins to openly sob once more as seven months of pent up emotions finally let themselves out.

By now having heard there was a fight going on Xander and Giles hastily enter the room to find a sobbing Buffy on the floor in a slightly bloody Faith's arms. Xander moves over to Willow. "What is going on? Is Buffy ok?"

"She will be," Willow answers somewhat enigmatically while having to give some major kudos to Faith for being the one to find a way to break through Buffy's walls. Now that those walls are down maybe finally Buffy will allow herself to grieve properly and that is a major step on the road to recovery and getting back the Buffy they all know and love. As for the First's little threats...well they will deal with them and like Buffy said in the end they will win.

* * *

"Me casa is su casa," Oliver announces as he and Clark enter the Queen family home in Star City.

"You do know you just sounded like Bart there right?" Clark points out to Oliver as he briefly takes in the luxurious surroundings of Oliver's mansion.

Oliver shakes his head. "I knew he was a bad influence!" he jokes and he is glad to see that Clark cracks a smile.

"So how did the gang take it when you told them you found me?" Clark asks Oliver.

"It varied. Chloe threatened me mortal harm when I refused to say where you were."

Clark nods. "I'm glad to see she has mellowed."

Oliver manages a chuckle. That was an actual joke. Not all that funny sure but it is better than the brooding Clark he found in Gaza. "So I'll show you to a room and you can clean yourself up."

Clark looks down at the dirty clothes he is still wearing. The only clothes he actually has. "Guess I need to go shopping too."

"I've already taken care of that," Oliver tells him. Oliver had phoned ahead and while he may not buy into all that rich kid nonsense it doesn't mean he doesn't need a personal assistant to help him run his company while at the same time he moonlights as the Green Arrow.

"Thank you," Clark replies. "Oh I'll need a little hand-held mirror if you have one."

"Ok sure. Why?"

"So I can shave," Clark explains which doesn't actually clarify it for Oliver all that much until later when he finds Clark in the bathroom using the mirror to bounce his heat vision off as he literally burns the beard off his face. Clark looks at his clean shaven features in the mirror. He hadn't seen this face in months.

"That's how you shave?" Oliver queries in surprise.

A wry smile comes to Clark's lips. "How did you think I did it Oliver? With a razor? Every part of me is invulnerable, my hair included." And speaking of hair Clark now had to cut his. "Here take this," he tells Oliver handing him the mirror.

"Why? What are you doing?"

"Shh," Clark tells him as he shifts Oliver to just the right place. "I need to concentrate. Don't move." Clark moves to stand in between Oliver and the wall mirror with his back to it and then he fires up his heat vision which bounces off the mirror Oliver is holding, bounces off the wall mirror and slices his hair off. "There we go," he announces once he is done.

"That's how you cut your hair?" Oliver queries even more surprised than he was before.

"Yeah it's annoyingly tricky but you should have seen what we had to do to cut it before my heat vision manifested. It ended up in a lot of broken tools."

Oliver blinks. He never thought about how tricky it must be for someone like Clark to do normal everyday things.

Clark looks once more in the mirror as he runs his hand through his still slightly damp hair. When Oliver walked in he was not long out of the shower. Clark takes a moment to take in his appearance. He guesses he prefers it without the caveman look although beard or no beard his eyes still have that slightly pained, haunted look he has had ever since Karen was lost. He lets out a sad sigh and finds Oliver placing his hand onto Clark's shoulder.

"Take it slowly Clark. One day at a time," he advises sympathetically guessing what it is Clark's sad sigh is about. It may take awhile but at least Clark being here means Oliver can be more confident he is on the road to recovery.

Clark nods. Yes. Once day at a time until he at least finds himself again. Over the last 7 months he has lost track of who he is. Now he has to find that person again. Only that person is going to be able to fight Cythonna and he will have to fight her again. It is only a matter of time.

* * *

Buffy too has just finished a shower and is drying her hair as she comes to terms with the fact that she cried in front of everyone. The odd thing was that even though her heart still ached it didn't seem as intense anymore. Her heart actually feels a bit lighter.

"How are you?"

Buffy turns her head to see Willow standing at the door to her room. "Better," Buffy answers.

Willow notes the answer with interest. Not fine or alright as Buffy has been claiming for months but an actual admission that she was not fine or alright. "So what now?" she asks of her best friend.

"Nothing has really changed Wills. We still need to find Cythonna and stop her."

"I never said we didn't but what now for you?" she clarifies.

Buffy sighs as she tosses the towel she is using on her hair onto the bed and pulls her hair back behind her head. "I don't know."

Willow smiles a little.

"What?" Buffy asks at Wills' smile.

"The fact you are admitting that you are as human as the rest of us."

Buffy frowns. "I...it is just..." she sits down on the bed. "Faith was right," she admits with a little bit of shame. "I allowed First to manipulate me and I allowed it because it was easier than facing up to my pain." She drops her head into her hands. "God I was a coward wasn't I."

After a few moments Buffy can feel the bed dip slightly indicating Willow has sat down next to her. She feels her friends arm wrap around her shoulders. "No you were hurt. You lost your baby which is probably the worse thing any woman has to go through and the First took advantage. Besides if anyone should be on a guilt trip here it is me." After all it was the dark future Willow that caused Buffy to lose her baby.

Buffy looks up at Willow. "Will that future...she wasn't you."

"She was me. I could be her...one day."

Buffy shakes her head. "Not going to happen. I mean you've changed haven't you. Eased up on the magic use."

Well yes Willow has. It was part of trying to prevent that future. Part of whatever it is that turned her into that twisted version was to do with the overuse of magic. As a result Willow had been trying very hard to limit her magic use to emergencies and fighting other mystical foes. With Xander's help and Chloe's help and even Giles' help Willow hopes she had already changed enough to never end up ever again being evil yet a small part of her can't help but still be fearful that it won't be enough and she will still end up as the heartless future her that was filled with darkness.

"So back to what are you going to do now?" Willow asks Buffy wanting the subject off herself.

"Take it one day at a time I guess. I mean I'm not giving up the hunt for Cythonna. I would like to stay busy."

Willow nods. She has no objection really. She moves onto another subject. "I was speaking to Chloe a little earlier," she mentions.

"And how is your lover's paradise doing?" Buffy asks.

"Um good. We're fine."

"That's good," Buffy says genuinely.

"It is just I was talking to her and she mentioned something Oliver told her."

Buffy can tell Willow is trying to tell her something but isn't sure how she will react. "Just spit it out Will."

"Oliver found Clark."

"Oh...um...right. That's good I guess. Did Chloe mention how he is?"

"Not really. It seems while Oliver found him Clark is still keeping a low profile. Needing some time to sort himself out."

"I know that feeling," Buffy says barely above a whisper.

From Buffy's tone Willow can guess something "Still not going to find him are you?"

"I'm...I'm not ready Will. There is still pain. There is still hurt." Buffy shakes her head. "I don't even know what I would say to him if I saw him."

"Hello Clark," Willow suggests as something for Buffy to say.

A tiny smile comes to Buffy's lips at her friends' humour. "Apart from that," she playfully chastises.

Willow becomes a little more serious. "I know Buffy. I know. Tell me this though do you miss him? Have you missed him these last 7 months?"

Buffy gives the only answer she can. "Yes."

* * *

A week later the Green Arrow stands upon a rooftop looking down upon Star City. Like all cities there was crime and corruption. Innocent people were stepped on by those trying to make their way up in the order but unlike many other cities this one had him to fight for all those innocent people. Well when he wasn't busy trying to put Lex Luthor out of business that is. Lex as always was his usual busy himself where illegal activities was involved. Of course proving that to the point sufficient for the police to actually do something about it was another issue all together. Until then all Oliver and the others could do was disrupt and frustrate Lex at every turn. Well he can obsess about Lex another night. Right now he better deal with that alarm that just started coming from the all-night grocers across the street.

Upon getting inside he finds a gang of masked men robbing the place and one in particular about to put an end to some poor cashier. Probably the one who pushed the alarm. In fact one of that guy's pals is trying to dissuade him from pulling the trigger.

"That's not going to do us any good now," he says.

The one pointing the gun replies "I'll sure feel better."

Oliver pulls his arrow back, lets it go shooting the gun out of the guy's hand and impaling it into a shelf. "But it will make me a little cranky," he retorts in a quip.

The other members of the gang start shooting at Oliver who easily dodges out of the way and releases a smoke arrow which blinds the armed gang and gives him the advantage. He starts to take them out one by one. One in a net that explodes from a ball on the tip of an arrow and boy is it difficult to create a net you can compact into something small enough to attach to an arrow. Took him ages to make it work right. Another with one of those taser arrows he thought up although he still thinks a boxing glove arrow would look cool. Anyway that aside he downs another one by puncturing a bottle of detergent causing this one who was running away to slip and fall flat on his back.

It is then Oliver hears a gun being cocked behind him. He turns around to find another masked man aiming the gun right at him. "Now you don't want to do that," Oliver advises.

The man is almost shaking. It was a simple job. Break in, clear the cash registers and get out but oh no this stupid guy in a green hood and shades has to interfere. He had heard rumours he will admit about some vigilante but he didn't take them seriously until now. It is then he feels the gun in his hand heat up and as he looks down it is turning red hot until he just has to drop it. While he is shaking his hand trying to cool it off the guy in green sweeps in and knocks him out.

Oliver turns his head to find standing down the aisle dressed in a brand new black outfit is Clark. "I could have handled that," Oliver insists.

Clark strides down the aisle, his long trench coat almost fluttering behind him as he goes. "Sure you could," he says insincerely because the guy had gotten the drop on Oliver.

While they are talking the guy who had slipped is back on his feet and now running for the exit but he never makes it. Instead he runs into what feels like a wall knocking him back down. It is the guy in black but how in hell did he just appear in front of him like that?

The guy points his gun at Clark. "Stay back," he warns him. Clark having used his superspeed to stop the guy from escaping takes a stride forward and the man does as he warned he would do and fires. Of course the man has no idea that he is firing at a man who is bullet proof so the shock on his face is genuine when the bullets simply ricochet off Clark's body. Clark strides forward, grabs the gun and crushes it in his hand before picking the guy up by the jacket until his feet are off the ground.

"What the hell are you?" the guy says in utter terror.

"A friend to all those who are innocent," Clark replies. "Someone who will protect them from the likes of you." Then in a blur of motion Clark grabs some washing line from a shelf and ties up all the gang members in a nice little package for the police.

"Not bad," Oliver remarks. Police sirens can now be heard in the distance. "It is time to go though."

A short time later Oliver and Clark watch from the rooftop across the street as the police take the gang members away under arrest. "Thanks for the help," Oliver finally decides to say.

"No problem," Clark replies.

"So if I can ask what made you decide to leave the house after a solid week of brooding?"

"I was not brooding," Clark protests. "I was coming to terms with...stuff."

"Uh huh. Sure," Oliver says not very convinced.

Clark sighs. "Do you know what I can hear Oliver?"

Oliver shakes his head. "Not really. No."

"Everything. Every sound made within the city. Every cry of pain. Every call for help and I just couldn't sit there any longer and do nothing about it. My...personal issues are not more important than people who are suffering and whom I have the power to help." And that is what triggered Clark to stop...yes alright brooding, and get off his backside and help.

"Noble sentiments Clark but it doesn't mean your personal issues are not important. You have gone through a lot."

"And I'm taking it one day at a time like you suggested."

Wow someone actually listened to him. That's new for Oliver because both Lois, his still current girlfriend, and Chloe don't listen to a single word he says. "When did you get the new costume?" Oliver asks.

"Before I came out tonight. I nipped up to the Fortress and made a new one. My old one was..."

"Dirty. Smelly. Frayed. Only fit for the garbage bin," Oliver puts forward as descriptions.

Clark shrugs. "Just be glad you haven't thought about how long I wore it between washes."

Oliver cracks a smile at Clark's joke although he probably doesn't want to know how true that is frankly. "So how are you doing really Clark?"

"Better," he answers. "Long way to go yet but I think I'm on the right road now."

"Do you ever think about going to see her?"

Clark knows who Oliver means by her. Buffy. "Sometimes," he admits. "I do miss her but I'm still no closer to figuring out how or even if our relationship can be salvaged."

"You know we formed an alliance with the Slayers while you were AWOL," Oliver feels he should mention in case it is going to cause problems for Clark.

Clark gets and appreciates what Oliver is doing but like he said his personal feelings aren't all that important compared to the big picture. "Good. That's good. We can do much more together than apart especially when our not so friendly ice Goddess decides to show up again."

"Yeah shame we can't know when and where unless you can see the future now."

That strikes an idea alight inside Clark's head. "I can't...but I know someone who can." Clark then floats up off the roof.

"Where are you going?!" Oliver shouts after him.

Clark's only response before he vanishes with a sonic boom is "Los Angeles!"

* * *

_Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews._


	50. Part 4 Chapter 4: LA Stop

Chapter 4: LA Stop

"Were you guys born stupid or is it something you have worked at?"

At that Angel's brow hits a full on scowl as he moves to untie his extremely ungrateful friend. Well he uses the friend loose where she is concerned. She is the sister of a friend. "Would a little gratitude kill you Dawn?"

Dawn snorts. "Oh please. A thanks for what? Doing exactly what she wanted you to do?" Dawn shakes her head. "At least tell me you didn't go all macho and tried to do this by yourself? Tell me you brought the couple dozen slayers that comprise your little group these days?"

"That many would have been spotted."

Dawn rolls her eyes. "OY!"

"Hey!" Cordy chastises the pair of them. "Keep talking and we will be noticed."

"A little late for that," the architect behind all this announces.

Angel, Cordy and Dawn turn to face her. Angel almost groans. "Eve."

Eve appraises her 3 guests. "Seriously you hero types are so predictable. A damsel in distress and you come running right into a trap."

"Hey!" Dawn yells. "I am not a damsel in distress," she insists.

"Coulda fooled me honey," Eve mocks.

Dawn's hair actually starts to show splashes of green colour as her temper rises and her awakened powers of the Key grow in response. She would have used them to escape had the ropes holding her not be magical and suppressing her powers. Angel has to hold her back from doing something foolish.

"What do you want Eve?" Angel asks her.

Eve laughs at Angel's inability to guess. "Revenge you imbecile," she says insultingly. The former liaison to the senior partners had been planning this for months. Getting revenge on the one person she blames for taking Lindsey, love of her life, away from her.

At this Cordy rolls her eyes. "What is it with you and your former groin buddies always wanting revenge?" she hisses at her boyfriend.

"Oh come on Cordy. That has only happened like twice," Angel says in his defence.

"Enough!" Eve snaps. It may seem foolish to some that she is standing here alone except she isn't standing here alone. Down in this...basement, which is what it is essentially, she has her own little gang of vampires and demons whom she knew from back in her liaison days. Mercenaries who would take on any job for the right price and right now they completely surround the 3 heroes.

"You know the good thing about this Angel is that now you are no longer a vampire I get the added bonus of having your head to mount after your dead," Eve pronounces in eager anticipation. If he had still been a vampire he would just go _poof_ into a cloud of dust.

"I can't believe you slept with her," Cordy just has to say.

"I explained that Cordy!" Angel tries to remind her in his defence. It was a complicated thing with Lorne having his sleep ability removed which meant he ended up sending up telepathic suggestions that had people do what he said even if he was joking and as far as him and Eve was concerned Lorne's joke was that they find and a room and do it which unfortunately they did...several times. Angel would love to burn that from his memory.

Dawn just shakes her head. "Oh come on. Will you two give it a rest? I would rather be dead than have to listen to this," she complains.

"That will be arranged," Eve promises darkly. "Any last words?"

"Yeah. Bite me!" Dawn replies smartly.

"Cute," Eve remarks. "Kill them," she orders of her hired guns.

Angel, Cordy and Dawn stand back to back and prepare for the fight. The vamps and demons close in and just when they are in striking range the door to the basement is shattered by a black blur which in a matter of seconds has sent every single demon and vamp flying until they lie around, littering the ground, groaning in pain. The blur comes to a stop in front of Dawn and asks with a puzzled expression clear on his face "Is it Tuesday already?"

An enormous grin forms on Dawn's face at who is in front of her. "I LOVE the new outfit!"

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. You are so putting Angel to shame. He doesn't look half as good."

"I am standing right here Dawn," Angel reminds her sounding insulted.

The sound of a gun cocking grabs all their attentions. Clark sighs as he turns around to find Eve standing there pointing a gun at them.

"Who the hell are you?" she demands to know of Clark.

"Someone who doesn't like it when his friends are threatened," Clark replies. "Now please put the gun away," he requests of her.

"Not until I make him pay." Him being Angel.

Clark sighs again. He can hear the rage and desperate need for vengeance in her voice. There is only one way this is ending. He takes a deliberate stride forward towards the woman and she pulls the trigger. The bullets bounce off him as he continues to walk right up to her until the clip is empty. He grabs the gun from her hand and crushes it into a ball. "Now maybe you will be a little more reasonable."

Eve's response is to try and punch him in the jaw. "Ah!!!" she yells out in pain as she cradles her fist. "What are you made of? Steel?"

Clark turns his head and asks a question. "Why did she think her fist would work when bullets didn't?"

"She is not the brightest bulb in the shop," Dawn quips.

Eve fixes Dawn a glare while trying to figure what to do now and just what the hell this man is. He took apart her mercenaries in seconds and bullets bounce off him. Even she has rarely seen any being with even remotely that kind of power. "What are you?" she asks him through gritted teeth.

"I am Kal-El. Last Son of the planet Krypton. Remember that and the fact that I always protect my friends."

Dawn marches up next to Clark. "Pretty speech but what happened to not letting people know who you are?" she queries.

"That was before. The time is nearing where I won't be hiding in the shadows any longer so it makes no difference now."

"Huh. Ok then but you just shocked the hell out of those two," she points out using her thumb to indicate behind them at Cordy and Angel who did not know what he was.

"People usually are," is Clark's enigmatic answer. "Now what do we do with her?" he asks in reference to Eve.

"Well firstly...THIS!!!" Dawn then right hooks her with all her strength knocking Eve to the ground. "That's for kidnapping me and if you ever call me a damsel in distress again I will kill you."

"Dawn," Clark chastises.

"What?"

Clark gives her a look.

"Oh please Cl...err Kal-El," Dawn decides to use so not to tell Eve Clark's name. "I know you don't like killing, Buffy mentioned that, but she is barely human. She sold her soul years ago."

"And she isn't worth blackening yours over either," Clark points out.

"Yeah. You're right," Dawn agrees. "You hear that bitch. You aren't even worth killing. You're just plain pathetic." Dawn loops her arm with Clark's. "Come on. Lets get out of here. You can fill me on where just the hell you have been and what happened between you and my sister."

Clark and Dawn walk past Eve with Angel and Cordy following on behind still rather stunned. Clark's an alien!?

* * *

"You're an alien?" Cordy asks Clark after they all get back to the Hyperion Hotel. They are currently in Angel's office. They being Clark, Dawn, Angel and Cordy.

Dawn rolls her eyes. "Cordy he said so 5 times already. Will you move on please."

"Well forgive me Dawn. He looks un-alien like."

"How do you think aliens look?" Clark asks her.

"Um...well..." Cordy didn't actually know. "I don't know. Just not like us."

"I don't look like you," Clark tells her. "You look like me."

"Huh?"

"Cordy my race was travelling around the universe when humans were still using stone tools. We were around before humans even evolved. We were here first to put it simply which means that you look like me."

"So there," Dawn says childishly and sticks her tongue out at Cordelia.

Angel moves on. "How did you find us?" he has to know.

"Lorne," Clark answers simply.

"What about Lorne?"

"I came here because I needed to know if Lorne could see something about my future. Instead he saw you 3 in trouble and told me where to go," he explains. So in other words he didn't learn anything new or useful about Cythonna.

A little later Clark is still in LA watching the slayers based here go through a training regiment.

"Bring back memories?"

Clark turns his head to see Dawn coming up next to him. "Hmm...what?"

"Of you and Buffy," she reminds him of them training.

Clark lets out a breath. "Maybe," he admits.

Clark had told Dawn on the way back to the hotel about...well he summarised everything. Dawn had listened patiently and attentively which if you know her is just about miraculous. "She misses you you know and I'm pretty sure she still loves you too," Dawn says in reference to Buffy.

"I still love her," Clark speaks softly.

"I hear a but coming."

"But I'm just not ready to face her yet. Not today."

Dawn's face grows pensive as she wishes she could think of what to say. Clark made Buffy so happy before and she is certain if they could work through this they could be happy again.

"So what have you been up to?" Clark asks Dawn needing a change of subject.

Dawn shrugs. "Not much. Go to college. Fight the forces of evil. Learn about my keyness from Illyria. Same old. Same old."

"Still dating Connor?" he asks in reference to Angel's son.

Dawn's lips twitch into a smile. "Yes." Dating and a lot more besides as in having gone all the way with him so she can finally say she is no longer suitable for virgin sacrifices.

In truth Clark was asking out of nicety. He could actually pick up the faint smell of a man, he assumes is Connor, upon Dawn's person. "He not here?"

"No. He is out with a few of the girls searching for a vamp nest that has sprung up recently," Dawn explains as to the whereabouts of her boyfriend. Wolfram and Hart may be their main focus but their wider job is to, as Angel puts it, 'Help the helpless'.

"I see," Clark says in response.

"So why the change to black?" Dawn asks him about his outfit.

"I just felt like wearing black," is Clark's reply. "I'm just not in a particularly colourful mood at the moment."

"Ok I can get that and while you do look great can I just say also I don't really think it is you."

"I'll take your opinion on-board."

"You're just humouring me aren't you."

"Noooo," Clark says in a long drawn out sarcastic tone. "I value the opinion of someone who I've only met a few times in 2 years greatly."

Dawn smiles wryly. "Well at least you still have a sense of humour even if I was never sure you had one in the first place."

"Now you're just making fun of me."

"What was your first clue?"

"The fact you sound like Buffy right now."

"Now why did you have to go and insult me?"

Clark looks at her and measures his next response. "Well if it makes up for it you are taller than she is."

Dawn grins. "Yeah I know. It's great isn't it. She may have all that slayer strength but I can always look down on her."

Clark sniggers ever so slightly.

"Uh oh. Shameless flirt at 2 o'clock."

Clark looks in that direction to see Harmony, the now one vampire in the world with a soul. In Dawn's opinion the PTBs were really scraping the barrel when they restored it to fulfil their stupid prophecy about the vampire with the soul playing a vital role in the apocalypse. Of course now that she had her soul back in many ways Harmony had regressed to the way she was when she was alive but if Dawn was to be very, very nice she would say that Harmony's burden of guilt has prompted a few positive changes but...lets just say Harmony is still a work in progress and she swears that Angel is going grey solely due to Harmony.

"It's time I was going anyway," Clark mentions. After all the one thing he came for he hadn't gotten.

"Yeah and I am meant to be joining in with the training," Dawn mentions sounding terribly unenthused. Not that having the slayers around wasn't great. It was and with a larger group she, they, Angel and the rest, with some helpful visions Cordy provided, had made some serious inroads into loosening Wolfram and Hart's control over the city. Hopefully soon they would break it completely. Then it would be 1 city down, only approximately 3000 more cities to go, depending on how you define a city. Well in Lorne's vision of that final showdown with the forces of evil he did give some indications that it was possibly decades in the future so Dawn guesses she and all of them are in this for the long haul.

Clark abruptly pulls Dawn into a hug. "You take care now."

"I will," she promises and that is something she has never promised her sister. Damn. How does Clark do that?

Clark turns to leave when he bumps into Lorne.

"Can I have a word champ?" the green-skinned demon asks him.

"Sure."

They move toward the exit of the hotel where it is quieter. Lorne needs to talk to Clark about a few of the things he saw when Clark sung to him. Saving Angel had been priority number one but with that out of the way Lorne can get back to guiding this world's saviour back to his right path. "About Cythonna," Lorne begins, "The simple fact is that I couldn't see anything because she won't allow me to see anything. She has managed to completely cloak herself. Disguise her ripples."

"Ripples?" Clark queries.

"It's the old analogy about how each of us affect destiny. The stone into a pond." Clark nods in understanding. "Now something as powerful as a god would normally send out massive ripples but in her case she knows how to hide them."

"So we're stuck with the time-frame we got from the trip into the future."

"Fraid so Champ."

Clark frowns. This should have been what he was trying to prevent these last 7 months instead what has he been doing and why has he been doing it?

Lorne can sense a few questions and doubts off Clark and Clark is an extremely difficult person to read. Being not from this world his destiny is in his own hands more than most making it extremely variable and forever shifting. He can also sense a few other things. "I can sense darkness you didn't have before," Lorne feels he has to mention. "Or I can sense a darkness over you trying to make you follow its path."

"The First," Clark states simply.

"If it is that is well beyond my ken...and my Barbie and all my dolls," he jokes. More seriously "Look Clark your destiny is and always has been in your own hands. Make sure whatever path you follow is the one you choose and not one you are manipulated into."

Clark takes a deep breath. "I'm trying. It just..."

"Hurts. I know. Look you lost your daughter...I can't imagine what that is like for you but tragedies can often strengthen us and not weaken us. Honour her by doing what I believe I saw is your destiny to do."

"And what is that?"

"Ah. Sorry. Can't tell you that one. What I can say is that seriously this look," Lorne gestures at Clark's black costume, "it isn't you."

"You sound like Dawn."

Lorne smiles. "Yes the little pumpkin is wise beyond her years."

"So what do I do now?" Clark asks Lorne.

"What I can see of your future and what I can say is that you are slowly returning to your path. Stay close to that friend of yours. The one in the fashionably popular green and you'll get to where you need to be. Along the way you will encounter the Spirit of the Bat and the Warrior Princess and the Trinity you will form will be the light that leads the way."

"Huh?"

Lorne shakes his head. "Be thankful I was able to see that much. Your unique origin makes it hard for me but those two images were very clear. Those two people shall be very important in what is to come."

Clark is starting to think coming here was a mistake. Now he is more confused than ever. Lorne pats him on the shoulder. "Don't worry too much about it. It will all happen in its own time."

Clark is about to leave but stops and turns back around. "What about Buffy?"

Lorne shakes his head. "Sorry. I never saw her. She is obscured, oblique, like someone or something is trying to make her possible fate as ambiguous as possible."

"Lately....everywhere we turned it was like her death was prophesied or already sealed and basically time was simply ticking down to her end," Clark tells Lorne.

"I'm sorry. I can't confirm it one way or the other. Being around you has already changed her fate in ways I cannot foresee but I believe that it will end the way she chooses to end it and if I were you I would believe that too."

Clark would like to believe in many things. The potential of people to better themselves, the fact he can truly find his way back to who he was before all this started, one day that he might wake up and Buffy is in his arms again. Unfortunately his experiences lately have shown that what he wants to believe in may not necessarily come true. He turns and leaves and soars up into the sky so fast no human could possibly see him. At first he heads back towards Star City until he has a sudden urge to check up on something else. He alters his course slightly and heads for a new destination.

Smallville.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you to all those who wrote reviews. For those who may not visit my profile page I'll say here that I have put up a poll where you can help decide Buffy's fate. You can vote to decide whether she lives or dies so if you have a certain way you wish the story to end please go and cast your vote._


	51. Part 4 Chapter 5: There's No Place

Chapter 5: There's No Place Like Home

The sight of the farm comes into sight soon enough and Clark lands softly outside the house. It has been awhile since he has been back here. He lets his vision penetrate through the walls and can see it looks almost like he remembers. He briefly wonders what had happened to it while his mother has been performing her duties as a senator in Washington. Has it been sitting empty?

That seems wrong to Clark that the place he grew up in, the place filled with happy memories should sit empty.

Of course right now it isn't empty. His mother is there asleep in her bed. Another why Clark has to ponder. Why is she here and not still in Washington? Has something happened? Is she ill?

Clark swallows a lump in his throat. For seven long months he never really gave it much thought about how his mother was doing. God his behaviour has probably been killing her with worry. It takes a few moments for him to decide what to do next before he takes a stride forward towards the house.

He enters it quietly and a furry head pops up from the floor followed by a tail wagging enthusiastically. Clark bends down. "Hey boy," he says to Shelby while he pats the Golden Retriever's head. "How are you doing?"

Shelby cocks his head to the side which Clark interprets to mean "Better than me huh?"

Shelby then licks his hand and Clark lets out a sigh. "It just got so messed up Shelby," Clark confesses to the Golden Retriever. "I messed up." He then looks down at his canine companion who is sitting there looking back at him. "Well anyway best not to dwell on that eh? So have you been looking after mom for me?" he asks Shelby who simply once more cocks his head to the side.

* * *

The next morning Martha wakes up and the horrible realisation hits her of waking up alone. She hates that she feels that every single morning since she lost Jonathan. Pushing the feeling aside she gets up, grabs her dressing gown, puts it on and heads down the stairs. She is just about to head into the kitchen to make some coffee to wake herself up fully when she spots a figure in black floating above the couch.

Martha almost gasps. Clark. She had heard from Oliver that he had found Clark but that Clark wasn't ready to face anyone yet. Still Martha couldn't give up hoping he would come to see her. Hence why she is home in the first place.

Martha had gotten a summary of what had transpired without the full details. It brought back painful memories of her own lost baby. If only Clark had come to see her and not vanish off.

At this moment Shelby barks at the sight of Martha which startles Clark awake who promptly falls from his position above the couch, onto the couch, which then breaks under the force of impact with Clark's invulnerable body. Instantly Martha has to put her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. Not that a broken couch is a laughing matter it is just so typical for this house and the look on her son's face as he realises what has happened is really amusing.

Clark's eyes widen as he finds his mother looking at him trying to stifle her mirth. He shoots up to his feet. "Mom! I'm really, really sorry about that," he says sounding extremely apologetic.

Martha says nothing in response. She simply moves forward and wraps her arms around her son in a big hug. Clark responds by doing the same. He closes his eyes and for a moment forgets his problems and simply enjoys the comfort of being held by his mother.

After a long while Martha steps back and looks Clark over and has to ask one question at his black outfit. "Clark what are you wearing?"

Clark's brow drops into a frown. "What's wrong with it?"

Martha shakes her head. "Clark dressing like that...you don't look like the man that is suppose to inspire people. You look more like you want to instil fear into them...like that Batman character in Gotham."

"What Batman character?" Clark asks curiously.

Martha departs for the kitchen and then returns with a newspaper; the Gotham Gazette. She got it from the senator who represents the state Gotham is in. She hands it to Clark who flicks though it in about 5 seconds.

_Mysterious vigilante stalks Gotham_. _Criminals in fear of 'The Batman'_ are a few choice phrases Clark could quote. "I was wondering when he would show up," Clark mutters to himself.

"What?"

Clark looks at his mother and realises she probably has no idea what he is on about. "I met him. In the future I went to I met him...well the man behind the Batman so to speak," Clark explains. Not that that Bruce told him. It was Karen actually who mentioned it.

Karen.

At the thought of his daughter pain strikes his heart.

Martha can see the pain flash across Clark's features immediately and her heart fills with pain for her son. Well now he is home at least she can do something about it. "Will you be staying for breakfast?" she asks him.

Clark chews on that question for a moment. His original intention hadn't been to stay but he had ended up sitting on the couch with Shelby resting on his lap and at some point he had obviously fallen asleep and then started floating. That is his most irritating new sleeping habit. He means seriously. How is he ever going to explain that to someone who doesn't know him but finds him floating.

On the breakfast issue Clark must admit that he hasn't been exactly in places these last several months where a good meal was top of the list of things to do and to him no-one can cook like his mother can.

"Yes," he finally decides.

With a relieved smile Martha heads into the kitchen to make a start.

A little later as she watches Clark eat still not terribly impressed with what he is wearing Martha asks a question. "So where have you been staying since Oliver found you?"

Clark hesitates and stutters. "Um...err...you see the thing there is mom...I would rather not say."

Martha frowns. "Clark. I have been going out of mind with worry for seven months."

Guilt hits Clark like someone punched him in the gut with kryptonite. "I know. I'm sorry. That was never my intention. I would never hurt you mom. Never," he swears.

Martha's voice softens. "Clark I know the pain you were in. What I don't understand is why you didn't come see me. Why did you run away?"

Clark sighs deeply. He tries to explain without throwing in the whole First Evil deal-y onto his mother. He simply tries to explain his feelings at the time. "Because it seemed the right thing to do to be by myself...or at least it did at the time."

Martha knows Clark does have this tendency to insulate himself from the world. In some ways she guesses it is natural as this world isn't his. He comes from an entirely different one but almost every Kryptonian she has ever met hasn't been the most pleasant of individuals and from what Clark has told of her of what he learned of them they were a fairly cold logical race. Without his human touchstones is that what would become of Clark? Would the cold logical alien take over?

As long as Martha lives she is not going to let that happen. "Clark," she begins to say.

"I know," he cuts her off. "I know it was probably the wrong decision mom but I...it was just...she was beautiful you know." Martha looks at him rather perplexed. "Your granddaughter," he explains as he reaches into his coat's inside pocket, his coat which is now on the back of the chair he is sitting in. He pulls out a well used folded up piece of paper and hands it over to his mother.

Martha slowly unfolds the paper and there, drawn in charcoal, is the picture of a young woman. "Is this...?"

Clark nods slowly. "That's Karen." Clark drew it months ago and every day, every single day, since he has looked at it at least once making sure that his memory never forgets even the slightest detail. Not that it is likely too. Clark possesses perfect recall.

Martha takes several moments as her eyes absorb every detail they can. What a beautiful young woman she would have been.

Clark's voice breaks into Martha's thoughts. "She would have been born in about a month," he tells his mother. "But now...she can never exist. Even if I was to find someone compatible, even if it was Buffy the odds that our genes would combine in exactly the way required to be an exact match are...astronomical. All Karen can ever be is an unrealised possibility."

"But you met her. She was real. She existed," Martha argues with him.

Clark shakes his head. He is not about to get into an argument with his mother over the laws of temporal mechanics. "Mom I have spent long enough torturing myself over this. I need to move on. I need to start getting ready for what lies ahead."

"That doesn't mean you forget the ones you love Clark. Have you forgotten your father?"

Clark shakes his head. Of course he hasn't and he hasn't forgotten Karen either. "I am not forgetting her mom. I just... have spent months unable to grieve properly. It has meant wasted months as a threat to the whole world has walked with impunity upon the Earth. Now I finally can see clearly what it is I am suppose to do. What I should have done all those months ago. Grieve, remember but still always remain true to who I am. To the qualities dad instilled in me."

Martha manages a small smile. Clark is sounding so mature now. It makes her realise how grown up he is now. Well almost. The running away was not the act of a mature person. "How long are you staying?"

Clark can hear the sound of hopeful wishing that he stays. "A few days. I'll stay a few days," he tells her. He doesn't want to disappoint her. Not again. Besides now that he is here on the farm with his mother he thinks being here will be another step along the road in coming to terms with everything.

* * *

A few days later Martha is sitting at the kitchen table reading the Daily Planet with a smile on her face. Its headline was about a mysterious black blur that had appeared and was seemingly everywhere taking down criminals. Martha of course knew exactly who it was. Clark left every night to go to Metropolis. She looks up as he enters. He is still dressing in drab colours. Greys and blacks mostly and it just isn't the boy she raised. Right now it is grey t-shirt and black jeans as he heads to the fridge.

"You made the paper again," she tells him.

Clark stops just as he is opening the fridge door and glances at the paper in his mother's hands. He shrugs. "Was bound to happen I guess although I don't see why I make the front page."

"A mysterious man who can move so fast that he is only a blur. A man with great powers using it only to help the innocent. No I can't see why either."

Even Clark can pick up the less that subtle sarcasm. "You know I can move so fast they couldn't see me at all."

"So why don't you?" his mother asks pointedly.

Clark grabs some orange juice and is about to raise the carton to his lips when he catches his mother's disapproving gaze. Right. He needs to put it in glass. He needs to remember his manners now he is not living it up rough. He pours his drink and sits down at the table. He finally answers her question. "Well there is a greater risk I could seriously hurt them if I was moving faster."

"That the only reason?"

"What other reason could there be?"

"I remember some words about giving people hope. About being an inspiration for them to follow. You can't be that if they can't see you."

Clark frowns. "It is hard to give people hope when you lack any yourself."

"Yet you are letting them see you and you are using your powers to help."

Clark's frown deepens. "I...just can't stand by and do nothing. Not when I can hear so many people crying out for help. It is like I said before about holding true to what dad taught me." He drinks his juice. "That is what I told Oliver too when he asked."

"It shows Clark," Martha tries to make her son see, "that despite the tragedies that have befallen you you are still at your heart the boy I raised. It takes real strength to face tragedy and still hold true to your principles."

Clark sighs. "It still hurts."

"Yes it does," Martha tells him in sad agreement because it still hurts that she lost Jonathan and it still hurts that she lost her own baby. "And Clark I'm sorry to say there is nothing I can say that can make it go away except that burying all the pain and hurt inside you and not sharing is not a way to deal with it."

Clark quirks an eyebrow. "Is this going to be a lecture on how stupid I was?"

"Clark. Don't be cheeky," Martha tells him off.

"Sorry," he apologises.

"And no Clark no lectures. I think you know you made an error in judgement."

"I do."

"So does that mean you have thought about going to see Buffy?" Martha asks curiously. Clark had said how he hadn't seen her since they broke up and wasn't sure how to go about seeing her.

"Not ready for that yet," Clark informs his mother. It wasn't as if he didn't want to see her. He was pretty sure he still loved her but there is just so much between them and maybe it is him being cowardly but he just doesn't feel up to facing it all yet.

"What about Chloe?"

"What about her?"

"She was on the phone when you were out last night. I think she suspects who the mysterious 'Blur' is."

Clark shakes his head. "What kind of name is ' the Blur' by the way?" he has to ask his mother.

Martha laughs. It is kind of silly but appropriate in its own way. At least for the minute. "Clark you are avoiding answering my question about Chloe," she points out.

"I was hoping you hadn't noticed."

"Are you trying to avoid her?"

"Yes," Clark admits honestly.

"Why?"

"She knows all my weaknesses and she is probably mad as hell at me."

"Clark she is also your friend."

Clark notices how his mother didn't contradict him. He knew it. Chloe is going to kill him.

Martha continues. "Clark I am going to have to get back to Washington and I would rather not leave you here without knowing someone is here for you."

"Mom...I was simply going to go back to where I was."

"That is called hiding Clark."

"I prefer to think of it as a place where I can engage in solitary meditation upon the collective reflections of my life."

Martha quirks an eyebrow and just looks at her son.

"You are not buying this are you?"

Martha shakes her head.

"Ok it's hiding," Clark concedes. "It is just too short a line from Chloe to Buffy through Willow. Like I said I am not ready to deal with that."

"Alright," Martha says softly. "You are an adult Clark and you can make your own choices but as long as you are here please say you at least checked up on her."

"I did." Clark did it from the building across the street from the Planet. He had to see how she was and if she was still alive. Chloe does have a habit of getting into trouble.

* * *

"This is turning into the story of our lives," Chloe snarks to her cousin.

"What? Getting tied up and thrown into a dark, dank basement?" Lois seeks to clarify.

"Yep," Chloe confirms.

Lois shrugs. "I guess although would it kill them to have a nice warm comfy basement now and again," she complains.

"Ah but you see if they took us to the nice basements that leaves them with the possibility of trying to get blood out of their carpets. You ever tried to do that? Damn near impossible."

Chloe and Lois sit back to back rope tied around them several times in some basement somewhere. They had been knocked out and woke up like this.

"You two done?"

Chloe and Lois turn their head to find the man responsible for their current predicament. The man they had been doing an investigation into. A man who is responsible for running a great deal of Metropolis' criminal underworld. A man who very well fits his nickname.

Bruno 'Ugly' Mannheim.

And lets not forget the faceless henchmen. Seriously if the guy was anymore clichéd he would be in a comic book. A fact Lois feels she needs to tell him which ends up with the inevitable of both her and Chloe getting stood up only so they can fall to the ground dead after being shot.

"You know sometimes Lois silence is golden," Chloe feels the need to tell her cousin in the few seconds they have left.

"It is not my fault he couldn't take some sage advice. I was just giving him some tips on how to improve himself," Lois says in her defence.

"Oh right. You were giving the psychopathic gangster with the armed henchmen some 'advice'," Chloe says with complete sarcasm.

"Do you think henchmen have their own union?" Lois ponders.

Bruno Mannheim shakes his head at the two nosy reporters who have been making his life unnecessarily difficult these last few months. They weren't even what you would call the two top reporters. He knew that they worked several floors down from where top reporters work at the Daily Planet yet they had been exposing his operations forcing him to shut down or move some very profitable enterprises. Well tonight he finally decided he had had enough and that the time was come to deal with them hence the kidnapping. He also knew that from what he learned bribes or threats were not going to get rid of them. In fact he had already tried those so that leaves one final sanction. He signals to his henchmen who aim their weapons at Chloe and Lois.

Suddenly the whole atmosphere of the basement changes and without warning a wind picks up. An impossible occurrence in a sealed room. The temperature noticeably drops. Mannheim has no idea what is going on. Only that suddenly all his henchmen's arms holding their guns are frozen in blocks of ice and that is the last thing he knows as he feels a thundering force hit the side of his head and he falls to the ground unconscious. In the next few seconds everyone in the basement vanishes in a black blur leaving only Chloe and Lois.

Chloe knows what is happening. There is only one person she knows who can do stuff like this. The one man who is suddenly standing in front of them. The man who strides forward and snaps the bindings on Lois' wrists first.

"You know," Clark begins, "I thought when I left I said to try to not get yourself killed," he snarks at Lois.

Lois rolls her eyes. "Spare me Smallville. You have no right to lecture anyone on anything."

Clark can hear some anger in Lois' tone. Damn. If Lois is mad at him than Chloe must be really pissed. However that doesn't mean he is simply going to stand here and take it. Not from Lois. "You know would a 'Thank you for saving my life Clark' kill you Lois?"

"I don't know. It might."

Clark is now the one to roll his eyes. Lois has to be the most annoying, aggravating person he has ever met. He moves on to Chloe and snaps her bindings and for his trouble all he gets is a slap across the face. "What the h..." His words are cut off by Chloe throwing her arms around his neck. Clark bends down slightly so Chloe can keep her feet on the ground. He then wraps his arms around his best friend and hugs her.

"You suck Kent," Chloe insults him although her word are a little muffled with her face pressed into his chest.

"I know. I'm sorry."

Chloe holds him for a long time until Lois interrupts them. "Ok. Ok. I think that is enough of that now. You need to slap him some more."

Chloe pulls back, smiling slightly but with tears in her eyes. "I don't think so Lois," Chloe tells her cousin. "Hitting Clark hurts." She then shakes her hand out.

"No it doesn't. I've hit him plenty of times. I'll show you." Lois marches forward and before Chloe can stop her she punches Clark in the shoulder only this time Clark deliberatly doesn't allow his body to give as he usually would just to prove a point. What happens next is inevitable as Lois ends up cradling her now aching hand.

Chloe eyes Clark. "You did that on purpose," she accuses.

"Yep," he happily confirms.

"Jerk."

"Where Lois is concerned always."

"What the hell?" Lois finally has to ask and with a smile Clark explains.

"All those times you hit me before Lois I allowed my body to give so wouldn't know what I was. When I say I am invulnerable I mean... I. Am. Invulnerable."

Chloe laughs which gets a glare from Lois. "I'm sorry Lois but why do you think I nicknamed him the 'Man of Steel'."

Lois shakes her hand trying to get the feeling back into it.

"Where did you dump our wannabe executioners?" Chloe asks him.

"Does it really matter?" he asks back.

"Guess not. It isn't like we could get them arrested anyway. The police are rather corrupt these days and a lot of them are on Mannheim's payroll."

Clark frowns. That is not the way things should be at all.

"How did you find us?" Chloe asks him.

"I was flying over the city and couldn't find you at home or at the Planet so my next natural assumption was that you were in trouble." Clark was just checking on her as he had done every other night since he started coming to Metropolis.

"Yep definitely a jerk. I can see your time alone has not done anything for your manners but back to how did you find us?"

Clark smirks. "Oh that was easy. I just listened for Lois' voice. Can't miss it. No-one in 5 states could miss it."

"Oh hardy har ha Smallville," Lois says with the full force of her sarcasm. "Chloe slap him again," Lois instructs her cousin.

"Um no Lois. Won't be doing that."

"Why did you slap me the first time?" Clark has to ask.

"Because you are an unfeeling, obnoxious, pig-headed dumb-ass who ran off without thinking about how much that would hurt those that care about you," Chloe spews with the full force of her anger along with her pain and hurt that Clark just ran off like that and not come see her when she would be perfectly willing to try and help him in any way she could.

"Oh," Clark says very guiltily. "In that case why did you hug me?"

"Because you are my best friend and I missed you."

"I missed you too Chlo," Clark says very softly and genuinely. He has missed her along with a lot of other people. It is only now, since Oliver found him, that he is realising just how much he has missed everyone he calls friend.

"I think I'm going to puke," Lois interrupts completely ruining the moment.

"I have not missed Lois at all," Clark snarks.

Chloe chuckles.

Lois glares at him. She then shakes her head and decides she has had enough of basements for this evening. "Lets get out of here."

"Yeah. Lets," Chloe says in agreement.

"Come on Smallville," Lois says inviting him to join them. "We can catch up and I can tell you the 100 things you did wrong followed by my sage advice on how much that costume sucks."

Clark almost scowls. "Hey! I like this costume."

"This coming from the man who use to model for Farm Boy Plaid Monthly. Yeah I think you'll be better off listening to me. After all that is what Oliver does and look how great he looks."

Clark snorts. "That isn't how Oliver tells it."

Lois and Chloe look at him.

"What?" he asks.

Then it strikes the two cousins at the same time. "I'm going to kill him," Lois swears.

"I'll help," Chloe offers.

"What?" Clark asks again totally lost.

"Oliver. He wouldn't tell us where you were," Chloe explains.

"Yes because I asked him not to."

"And believe you me Smallville we will be having a long talk about that," Lois promises him. "But what my cousin and I are on about is that you just gave it away where you were."

"I...what?"

"You were at his place in Star City weren't you?"

"I...no," Clark lies trying to protect Oliver.

"You are a terrible liar Clark," Chloe tells him.

"I...what? No I'm not." Lois opens her mouth to argue but Clark cuts her off. "Before you even start Lois remember I kept being an alien from you for 4 years."

Lois' mouth snaps shut. "Alright you get that one," she reluctantly concedes. "Come on Chlo we have revenge to plan on my boyfriend."

The two cousin walk off with what Clark would call looks of pure evil on their faces. If those two ever decide to become supervillains or something the world wouldn't stand a chance. Poor Oliver. Clark wonders if he should warn him.

"Smallville!" Lois kind of shrieks at him. "Get a move on will ya. We still have to have that talk."

And Clark is so looking forward to that...NOT! He is half tempted to fly off but he has to deal with this eventually he guesses and part of sorting his life out is reconnecting to his friends although where Lois is concerned that is a very loose term. He walks after Lois and Chloe at a human pace as he can overhear them plotting what to do to Oliver. Some of it is frankly inhumane. He makes his way back outside and looks at Metropolis' skyline and you know along with the farm this is where he feels most at home and as the saying goes 'There is no place like home'.

* * *

_Author's Note: No Buffy in this chapter because I felt Clark had more to do to reconnect to the people that matter most to him. He ran off while Buffy stayed with what is her family so it requires me to write a chapter or two which concentrates mostly on Clark. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews._


	52. Part 4 Chapter 6: The Mission

Chapter 6: The Mission

"So how is life back in Metropolis?" Oliver asks Clark. It had almost been a month since Oliver had found Clark and after Clark went home he stayed there. Not that Oliver is upset at all. Quite the opposite. He is glad his friend seems to be back more to himself.

"Alright I guess," Clark replies not sure exactly what else to say. He was technically living back on the farm but he was also Metropolis' new hero and the papers carried almost daily stories about 'The Blur'. Still Lorne said he should stick around Oliver so he has been 'hanging out' would be the phrase whenever he could find the time. "How are you after Lois and Chloe?"

Oliver shakes his head as he thinks back on their revenge. Lois in particular could be extremely devious when her ire is fired up. "I'm sure I'll get over the embarrassment eventually."

Clark manages a chuckle at that.

"How did you survive?" Oliver asks Clark knowing how angry Chloe was at her best friend.

"Superspeed," Clark answers simply.

"Convenient."

"Extremely."

"So on that prophecy you mentioned who do you think that Lorne guy was referring to?" Oliver asks. Clark had mentioned what was said to him.

Clark shrugs. "Not sure. The Spirit of the Bat I'm guessing is Gotham's Batman but as for the Warrior Princess I haven't a clue. Don't know any princesses. Warrior or otherwise."

Speaking of the Batman. "He turned me down flat you know when I offered for him to join us. The Batman," Oliver mentions.

"You know him?" Clark asks Oliver before he says anything about what he knows.

"Um yeah. You know that big fancy school Lex and I went to?"

"He went there too right?"

Oliver nods.

"You know that future I went to?"

"Sure."

"Met Bruce there."

Oliver wishes stuff like this could surprise him anymore but it doesn't. "He is going to be so annoyed about that. That someone else knows who he is."

"I am not going to expose him unless he breaks the law then I'll stop him like I do ever other criminal."

Oliver chuckles. "He walks a thin line I know but you don't know Gotham. By comparison Metropolis is a paradise. His methods have to be a little more extreme than what you or I would use."

"Metropolis has its problems. Believe me and since I got back all the nut-cases seem to be coming out of the woodwork."

"Oh yes Chloe mentioned something about that last week. What did he call himself? Toyman?"

Clark nods. Total utter loony who used toys to commit crimes. That had not been a fun few days until Clark managed to catch him with Chloe's help. That was nice. Almost like the old days and Chloe isn't mad at him anymore. They talked it all out. Lois on the other hand is using his running off every chance she gets to needle at him. One day she is going to go too far and he is going to laser her in the tush just to shut her up.

"Oh well in the end he was no match for the famous 'Blur'."

Clark shakes his head. "I need a better name although it is better than Boy Scout," he confesses.

"I told you that is what you get for rushing off and missing meetings," Oliver reminds him.

"I'm trying to cut down on that," Clark jokes and for that he ends up getting struck in the ribs. "OW!" he yells.

Now as to how he is in pain is simple. All this time he and Oliver had been sparing using short fighting sticks. Clark felt he needed to learn more and since it can't be Buffy anymore he asked if Oliver would help him. Oliver agreed and Clark was forced to look out the piece of blue kryptonite he has set in a bracelet as it was the only possible way he could do this and here they are in Oliver's training room at his home in Star City.

Clark glares at Oliver's now smug expression. "Was that necessary?"

Oliver shrugs with nonchalance. "I saw an opening and I took it." Secretly Oliver will admit Clark is not half bad. Buffy had done a good job but Oliver has spent years making himself a master at as many fighting techniques as he could.

Clark rubs his side and grumbles.

"So are you sure you are ready to undertake a mission? It means meeting everyone again."

Oliver had mentioned to Clark that Lex was seemingly restarting his 33.1 experiments and asked if he wanted to help take it down. Clark hadn't thought much about Lex in awhile which is odd considering how much of Metropolis the newly renamed 'Lexcorp' owns but Lex was never there. Always somewhere else.

'Lexcorp'.

Honestly Clark knew Lex had an ego but seriously renaming Luthorcorp after himself is just narcissism.

Anyway if Lex is experimenting on innocents then Clark can't allow that to continue so he will go along on this mission. Besides he has to stop avoiding people sooner or later. He had reforged the links to his mother, Chloe and...well as close to Lois as he can stand being linked. He guesses he should get reacquainted with everyone else.

It is at that moment a bright light floods the room and when it has faded two women stand there. One is Dinah. The other Clark doesn't know. She has dark hair and blue eyes. She is dressed in a top hat and tails with fishnet stockings and long black boots and right now Clark can tell he is being blatantly checked out. That could be because somehow when they started sparring both he and Oliver ended up shirtless.

Oliver makes some introductions when he remembers Clark had not met their newest member. "Clark this is..."

The woman cuts Oliver off by stepping forward and offering her hand to Clark. "Zatanna Zatara," she introduces herself as.

Clark takes the hand. "Clark Kent."

While shaking the hand Zatanna takes several more moments for her eyes to roam over the hard, chiselled muscles that are almost begging to be touched and caressed which just goes to show it has been way too long since she last had a boyfriend. "So where has Oliver been hiding you?" she asks.

"I wasn't hiding him anywhere Zee," Oliver protests.

"Zee?" Clark queries.

"That is what my friends call me," Zatanna explains. "So why I allow Oliver to use that I haven't figured out yet," she says smartly.

"Oh ha ha," Oliver says sarcastically. "By the way Zee you can let go of Clark's hand now," Oliver points out as she is still holding it.

Zatanna shakes her head. "No. I rather like holding it," she replies with her own cheeky smile.

Her attitude makes Clark smile a little at her. "So what is it you can do exactly?" Clark asks her.

Zatanna fixes Oliver a glare. "You have never mentioned me have you?"

"No he hasn't," Clark answers for Oliver taking the chance to put his friend on the spot.

Zatanna makes almost what sounds like a low growling noise in annoyance. She thought she and Oliver had known each other long enough that she be worthy of a mention. She'll get him back later she promises herself. She turns back to answer Clark's question. "To put it simply I am a sorceress."

"I see," Clark answers rather blandly.

"You don't seem surprised or shocked," Zatanna comments.

Clark shrugs. "I know a witch or two so if it is the magic being real part of it that can't surprise me."

Well that makes him even better Zee has to say to herself.

Clark meanwhile turns his attention to Dinah. "Hello Dinah," he greets her.

"Hey Clark. Finally caught you then," she remarks at how she and the others had been hunting him all over the world.

"Yeah. Although you came close in Indonesia I'll admit."

"I knew it!" she proclaims. Dinah knew she must have just missed him. There was still warm food on the table in the house she broke into looking for him. She turns to Oliver and can't help but take a moment to appreciate his shirtless form. "So where are the others?"

"Not here yet. You are the first to arrive."

"I don't think Zee is upset about that," Dinah comments as by now Zee has finally stopped shaking Clark's hand and has instead wrapped her arms around one of his muscular ones as she seems to be trying to get Clark to tell her about himself as she guides him over to the window on the other side of the room.

"She is not subtle is she?" Oliver has to say at the obvious flirting.

Dinah manages a smile and shrugs. "You know sometimes there is nothing wrong in being a little direct. After all it seems to work on you." Oliver looks at her puzzled. "Lois," Dinah explains because Lois is not subtle at all.

Oliver scratches the back of his head. "I suppose," he has to agree. "But I'm really not sure Clark is ready for a relationship."

"And when did you become an expert exactly?" Dinah asks him. She has known Oliver long enough to be, she thinks, a fairly good judge of him and she has never seen that Oliver is all that great a judge in aspects like this.

"Dinah when I found him he was a wreck and that was only a month ago."

Dinah sees Clark seemingly chatting to Zee quite happily. "He looks alright to me and if I remember right can't he hear you say that?"

"Not as long as he wears the bracelet on his wrist. The stone in it suppresses his abilities."

Dinah notes that as a fact of interest as Zee laughs at something Clark said. "Ollie he is a big boy. I'm sure he can handle it," she decides.

Oliver isn't so sure of that. Clark is rather blind at the effect he tends to have on people. He may think he is just being friendly as where Zee might interpret it differently. "It is just...I think he still loves Buffy," he informs Dinah fearing Zee might end up hurt.

Dinah's response is "Ollie Zee is a big girl. She won't wilt and die just because someone she might have a crush on can't return her feelings. At least they can be friends."

* * *

"Can I ask you a question?" Zatanna asks Dinah as they get ready for the pre-mission briefing.

"Of course," Dinah assures her. "What about?"

"Clark."

Dinah sighs. "Zee I don't know him all that well..."

"I hear a but coming."

"But I do know he went through a painful break-up and I don't want you to be bruised by the rebound," Dinah cautions.

Zatanna shakes her head. "You know that advice doesn't always apply. Sometimes a guy after a break-up is like a fire-damaged house. He needs someone to go in and fix him up."

"Zee you've known him for like only 5 hours," Dinah says being the voice of caution once again.

"Yes and I learned he is funny and sweet and, hey this a rarity these days, genuinely a gentleman. Not to mention he has a body that most woman would kill to get near."

"Oh gee that is not shallow reasoning or anything," Dinah says with a certain acerbity.

Zee rolls her eyes. "Oh come off of it Dinah. You're single and you are telling me that Clark doesn't set your heart racing. What are you? Dead?"

"No. I..."

Zee cuts Dinah off. "Or is it simply you have the hots for Mr Green Leather Pants?"

"I...what?"

Zee looks at her friend until Dinah snaps.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Not to Oliver no but to me...pretty much it is obvious yes."

Dinah sits down on a chair in the corner. "I never planned to."

"No-one does," Zatanna says sympathetically.

"He has a girlfriend," Dinah points out.

"Who is only around for him like half the time you are."

"I don't go around tapping up other people's boyfriends."

"I'm not telling you to."

"I don't know what to do," Dinah admits.

"Well as I see it you can tell him how you feel."

"I won't be doing that," Dinah says assuredly.

"Or do nothing, wait until the feelings go away, find some better and then Oliver can spend the rest of his life kicking himself for not seeing what a great person you are."

Dinah snorts. "If he ever realises what he could have had in the first place."

"Yeah he is kind of slow," Zee will have to say.

Dinah shakes her head. "This is stupid. He loves Lois."

"I have never heard him say that," Zee points out. Not once has she ever heard Oliver say that he actually loves Lois. "I'm sure he cares for her but he has never said that he loves her."

"So I'm back to I don't know what to do."

"Well maybe we're wrong and he will realise what a great person you are and choose you."

"I'm not holding out much hope."

"Oh you never know. Miracles happen. In fact I make them happen every day."

Dinah looks at Zatanna intently. "Zee if you are thinking of casting a spell..."

Zatanna waves Dinah off. "Oh no I'm not. Wouldn't work. I can't make anyone fall in love. Breaks the rules. At most I can do a lust spell. Besides that wasn't what I meant. What I simply meant was that miracles can happen so don't give up hope just yet."

"Ok." Dinah returns to where this conversation started. "Now what did you want to ask about Clark?"

"Just the one thing really. I mean I sensed it without being able to explain it and I thought it would be pushing to ask him so soon after first meeting him."

"What are you on about Zee?"

"What is he?"

* * *

Clark stood in what you could call an operations room in his costume. The meeting was suppose to start soon but he and Oliver were the only ones here so far. It had been an interesting day he guesses. Zatanna whom he had spent a few hours talking to on and off seemed a nice person. Not that his dislike of magic has lessened any because it hasn't but time spent with Buffy and co meant he knew that magic could be used for good as well as evil. He just disliked its unpredictability and its ability to hurt him in ways almost nothing else can. He thinks it could be a racial trait. He knows his people were a fairly logical race and magic falls outside the bounds of logic and science so maybe that is where his dislike of it comes from.

Zatanna had told Clark of how she ended up as part of this motley crew. How she stole a book Oliver had in his collection. A book that had belonged to her father and how she planned to use one of the spells within to bring him back from the dead. Bad idea. Terrible idea as Clark knew all too well the price you had to pay for resurrecting the dead. You have to exchange one life for another and Zatanna was going to exchange her own until Oliver of all people persuaded her not too.

Of course to be fair to Oliver he understands the pain of losing a parent all too well and he used that example of his own personal pain to make Zatanna realise that while Oliver too would love to bring his parents back, doing so would dishonour their memory and that if Zatanna did the same that would dishonour her father's memory so she stopped. Clark thinks he would have used a similar argument had he been there.

Oliver managed to persuade Zatanna to join the group after that. Someone who knows magic would obviously be useful and despite his alliance with the Slayers he wanted a magic user on his team and Zatanna has proved many times just how useful she can be since she joined enforcing that Oliver definitely did right in getting her to join and Oliver is certain she will be useful on this mission too if his info on what Lex is up to is correct. Or she will be if they would actually get here which it seems they are when the doors open up.

It is the two ladies who are the first to arrive followed by a few seconds later a blur of red motion that can be only one person. A fact confirmed when the guy in the red hoodie stops next to Zatanna, takes her hand into his, kisses the top of it and says "Oye bonita dama. ¿Y usted me permite hacer de su noche mágica?" which roughly translates to 'Hey pretty lady. How about you allow me to make your night magical?'.

Oliver, Clark, Dinah all simultaneously roll their eyes. "Bart. Give it a rest," Oliver tells him off.

Bart pulls his hood down. "Just because you happen to be jealous of my ways with the ladies," Bart argues back at Oliver.

"That be the ways that are illegal in 48 states," a new voice quips. It is Arthur Curry, AC to his friends, and has a codename of Aquaman as he enters the room.

A deep laugh resonates as following on behind AC is Victor Stone aka Cyborg which is what he is. Part man, part machine.

Clark shakes his head in amusement. Despite being quite some time since he has seen them all, close up anyway, they are still as he remembers the gang more or less. Close up because as they were hunting him all over the world he often saw them at a distance looking where he had been as he vanished off over the horizon.

Oliver holds his hands up. "Alright as much as I would love to have another of our scintillating debates," Oliver's sarcasm in full flow there, "can we get this briefing started. I think the first thing to mention is that the AWOL Boy Scout has rejoined us."

"Dude what are you wearing?" Bart asks Clark having only just now taken his attention off Zatanna and actually noticed Clark in his outfit.

"First Bart it's good to see you too and second the costume is off limits for discussion."

AC moves over and offer his hand to Clark who takes it. "Well I for one am glad to see you. Tracking you all over the world wasn't my idea of fun especially considering you can fly and my domain is the water."

"Thanks AC. It is nice to see you too and I'm sorry for the trouble I caused...to all of you."

AC waves Clark off. "It's alright. We all experience something that throws us for a loop. While you were away I found out that I'm the prince of Atlantis."

"Seriously?" Clark says with complete surprise.

AC nods. "Yeah...well the exiled prince. It seems when I was a baby my parents were overthrown in a coup and to keep me safe they sent me up here to what they call the surface world. One day I hope to go back and reclaim what was taken."

Bart sniggers. "Tell Clark what your real name is." Bart found it very amusing for some reason no-one could fathom.

AC rolls his eyes and shakes his head. "Not that it makes much difference but it is Orin but I never use it. I prefer AC."

Victor briefly greets Clark. "Saw you in the papers," he mentions.

"Papers?" Bart queries having no clue what Victor is on about.

"Don't you ever read the paper?" Dinah asks Bart.

"Nope. Old media. Too slow for the 'Fastest Man Alive'."

Everyone else in the room groans at Bart's pronouncement.

"That is all we hear over and over," AC complains.

Meanwhile Oliver grabs a copy of the Planet and sticks it in front of Bart's face. "The Blur?" Bart asks extremely amused. "That the best you could come up with Kent?"

"I didn't come up with it," Clark argues. "And I don't tend to stick around long enough for anyone to see anything but a blur so that is what they decided to call me."

"You see this is why I'm going to hire my own PR guy to manage my publicity," Bart mentions.

Oliver can already feel a truly stupendous headache forming and they haven't even started yet. Dinah moves to his side and gives his back a little rub. Oliver smiles at her gesture of support.

"By the way," Bart has to interrupt once again, "What happened with that Bat-dude in Gotham?" he asks since Oliver never told him what happened. "Is he going to join us?"

To everyone's surprise Zatanna snorts loudly. "Not bloody likely," she mutters with venom no-one has ever heard in her voice.

"You know him?" Dinah asks as the only explanation to Zee's reaction.

"Unfortunately," Zee answers. "Well enough to know he is not a team player. He is also an ill-mannered, obtuse, stubborn, pig-headed...grump."

Bart steps next to Clark and lets out a whistle. "I'm thinking bitter exes," he whispers to Clark and Clark would have to actually for once agree with Bart. That kind of reaction can only mean history of some sort. "Well no worry some Bart lovin will soon mend that," Bart confidently pronounces.

"Can we please get onto the briefing," Oliver pleads. That seems to get everyone's mind back on focus so Oliver brings up on the screen on the wall the plans of the facility they are going to infiltrate, free the captives and then blow the place to hell. "As can be seen," Oliver starts while pointing at the plans, "this facility has the same basic construction as Lex's previous facilities." He flips a switch and zooms in on particular part of it. "This is where the captives are most likely being held. Freeing them will be Clark and Zatanna's job."

"Why them?" Victor asks.

"Because it seems Lex has started to dabble in the supernatural. His captives go beyond people with abilities and may include demons and vampires and out of all of us here Clark and Zatanna have the most expertise in that area. In the case of vampires freeing them would be bad."

Oliver isn't kidding there Zee thinks to herself. She hates vampires. Horrible soulless things.

"What about the demons if there are any?" AC cuts in.

Zatanna answers. "Then we would have to identify which type they are. Not all demons are evil. Some are neutral. Simply existing to maintain the balance."

"You know enough to tell the difference?" Oliver asks her wanting to be sure.

"Most likely but shouldn't we ask for help from the slayers? Isn't that we allied ourselves with them and they are the real experts."

"They are the reason we are doing this," Oliver explains. "They don't want to expose their existence to Lex, at least unless they have to. I mean can you imagine what Lex would do if he found out they were hundreds of superstrong girls in the world?"

Clark imagines some kind of well armed, well funded witch hunt perhaps with military help. He knows it was the military that were the interested party in Lex's original 33.1 experiments. Clark won't let that happen to the slayers...to Buffy.

Oliver finishes with "We will do this because Lex already knows about our little group so it is not gifting him knowledge he doesn't already have."

Over the course of the next couple of hours they discuss and agree their plan of action and who does what. Victor's job is on the computerised systems while AC and Bart will keep the guards busy while Oliver with Dinah helping him plants explosives everywhere to make sure that this is one facility Lex won't be using again any time soon if ever.

After the meeting is over they all filter out so they can pack for the trip to the facility in the New Mexico desert until only Clark and Oliver are left.

"You didn't seem to object too much," Oliver feels a need to mention.

"If you mean because Lex and I were friends I would emphasise the past tense I am using. Lex is a lost cause and this can't be allowed to continue. I am curious though how you found out about what Lex was up to."

"The slayers."

"What about them?"

"They told me. They have a spy in the military and the military is helping Lex with this. Not on the books of course. It is one of their covert groups given the codename Cadmus."

Clark sighs. "I use to see the best in people and before I might have actually been surprised that the US military could do this but now..."

"Life tends to have that effect on people," Oliver observes.

"It shouldn't."

"And that sounds like the Clark Kent I remember."

"Maybe but I still don't feel like him," Clark has to depressingly admit. Oh he feels better than he did but not like the person he was before...before the time travel...before he lost his daughter...before he lost the person he loves.

"One day at a time Clark. One day at a time," Oliver repeats his first piece of advice to Clark.

Clark nods. Yes he still needs to take it slow. "We should get ready," he decides.

"Yes," Oliver says in agreement.

"By the way we are getting rid of Boy Scout as my call sign," Clark tells Oliver in no uncertain terms.

"Alright then. Blur it is."

Clark shakes his head. That doesn't sound right either but he can't think of anything else and it is better than Boy Scout so he guesses Blur it is. It is at this point Bart suddenly reappears.

"I just remembered," Bart starts to say. "You never said if Batman was joining us," he says to Oliver.

Oliver shakes his head. "No Bart. He refused."

Bart shrugs. "His loss." In the blink of an eye Bart is gone from the room followed by Clark and Oliver as they go and prepare themselves for the mission ahead.

* * *

"Arrow to Magician. Position report," Oliver requests of Zatanna over the com-link who ended up with the codename 'Magician' which is fine because it is what she is. It is how she makes her living.

"We are at the wall," Zatanna reports.

There was a service tunnel that had been blocked off which could lead them right to what should be the containment area. It was reinforced concrete but apparently that was no obstacle to Clark which Zee will say makes her quite anxious to see just what exactly Clark can do. Oh she had been told but being told and seeing it are two different things.

"Stand by until Cyborg disables the alarms and Aquaman and Impulse start their diversion," Oliver instructs them. "Blur you ready?"

"On your signal," Clark confirms.

Clark and Zatanna wait a few minutes until the sound of gunfire reaches Clark's super sensitive ears which can pick it up even through all the concrete and steel.

"Now," Oliver instructs and Clark raises his fist back and simply puts his fist right in the concrete as he starts to punch it apart and then rip the steel beams within it apart as well.

To Zatanna all she sees is Clark's form dissolve into a blur as dust fills the air and a pile of broken concrete pieces form at his feet. It takes a few minutes until he creates a hole large enough to step through.

Zatanna follows Clark who went in first inevitably. He turns round and helps her like a gentleman would. When Zatanna's eyes adjust to the dim light she can see Clark is covered in dust and she has to repress a snicker at his appearance as she picks a couple pieces of concrete from his hair. Clark frowns, dusts himself off and the two of them make their away along the corridor.

As they do so it seems Oliver's info was spot on. This is where all Lex's latest test subjects are being held. They come across holding cells with transparent doors. In some are vampires. In some are demons. In some are humans, most likely meteor infected. The vampires Clark toasts with his heat vision while Zatanna does the same with a few backward spoken words to conjure up fire. The demons Zatanna identifies as being alright Clark releases and they are pointed to the way out, where Clark and Zatanna came in. The others...they don't have time to work out how to deal with. It will make little difference when the place is blown up and despite Clark's strong dislike of killing he had learned enough from Buffy that sometimes monsters have to be put down for the greater good. The meteor infected, assuming that is what they are, will be helped if they can be helped as Oliver had tried to help all the others they had freed previously. They too are freed and Clark and Zatanna are just getting to the last couple of cells when what they find is not what Clark expected at all. They are teenage girls. In fact Clark swears a couple of them look familiar.

He thinks on it for a second and manages to put a name to one with red hair. One Buffy had introduced to him when he was at Slayer HQ for a week before they went of their travels what seemed like a lifetime ago. "Vi?" Clark queries.

The girl, haggled looking, with numerous marks on her body where tissue and blood samples have been taken looks up at the one who spoke her name. Vi squints her eyes as she focusses in on him. Huh she knows him. "Clark?" she cautiously asks.

Alright Clark can see he was not told everything here. Lex was not suppose to know about slayers which is why they were doing this instead of the Slayer Organisation. He and Oliver will be having words later. He rips the door off with ease, something the slayers had not been able to manage mostly due to the fact they have been almost constantly drugged. Clark helps Vi to her feet. "Can you walk?" he asks her.

Vi nods.

"Good. Magician here will show you the way out."

"I will?" Zatanna asks with surprise.

Clark looks at her with a glare the hardness of steel that makes her take a step back. "Soldiers are coming. My guess is that Lex wants to make sure no-one escapes here."

"How do you..."

Clark stops her by pointing at his ears. He had heard them coming.

Zatanna argues no more and helps the girls while Clark goes to delay the soldiers until everyone gets out. He walks to the end of the corridor which branches off in 2 opposite directions and they are soldiers coming in both. Fine then. He will wait here and they will have to get past him if they can.

The soldiers appear and what Clark assumes is the leader steps forward. "Stop where you are and put your hands up," the man orders Clark who actually does what he is told. A couple of soldiers step forward to try and put handcuffs on him and that is when he grabs one and throws him in one direction and manages to completely flatten the group of soldiers on his left leaving the ones on his right. The other soldier who tried to handcuff him is knocked aside with ease.

The group on his right all aim their guns at him.

"Stand down," the leader commands. "This is your last warning."

Clark takes a deliberate stride forward and they open fire. The bullets ricochet off him. One of these days people will learn not to waste their ammunition in doing that. Clark zips into superspeed and ploughs into the closely standing group of soldiers sending them flying but Clark had calculated with enough force not to do any permanent damage. Just a few bruises and maybe a concussion or two at worst.

That done Clark turns round to find the leader he missed aiming his gun right in Clark's face. Clark's face remains unmoved by emotion.

"Enough," the leader commands.

Behind him Clark can see a few from the other group getting back to their feet. He doesn't have time for this. In motion faster than the leader can react Clark knocks him aside as well. He slides down the wall and crumples to the ground knocked out. Clark zips away at superspeed having bought enough time for Zee to get the slayers out so it is time to leave. Before they blow the place Oliver will deliver a warning so he isn't condemning the soldiers here to die. They will all be given time to get out.

In his rush to leave what Clark never noticed was the name on the uniform of the leader of the soldiers.

R. Finn.

* * *

"We need to talk Oliver," Clark demands as soon as they are both at the location where they agreed to regroup.

"Look I know what this is about Clark but I swear I didn't know they were slayers there," Oliver says sounding genuinely angry at being not told everything.

Clark is half-tempted to go off and fly to Slayer HQ right now and demand answers but they still have to get the mistreated girls some place they can be treated and that is more important.

"I promise Clark we'll get answers later but first we have to get out of here." Oliver turns to Zatanna. "Magician what can you do?"

Zatanna takes a deep breath. "I can teleport them but the fewer the better." That is what Oliver was asking.

"Well I can fly back," Clark offers.

"And I can run it," Bart adds.

"Just take them," Oliver decides meaning those they rescued. "We'll make our own way back."

Zatanna takes a moment to summon up the power. "YTIC RATS OT SU TROPELET!"

The whole group, Zatanna included, then vanish in a flash of light.

"That is so cool," Bart has to say. Zatanna has to be about the coolest one of them there is along with being the sexiest.

That just leaves Clark, Bart, Victor, AC, Oliver and Dinah standing there.

"So can we say mission is a success here?" Bart queries.

Oliver looks in the distance at the plume of smoke coming from the destroyed facility. Prisoners rescued. Facility trashed. Yep he guesses they can say mission completed. Although like Clark he has many questions about why he wasn't told that Lex was onto the slayers. "I think we can Impulse," Oliver confirms.

"Alright!" Bart says in celebration. "We rule! You have to admit it that with Clark back we totally kicked ass."

"Well we will make that assessment later once you write up your report."

"Oh man!" Bart complains. He hates that part of it.

"And before you go zipping off we need to get back to the plane for those of us who can't move at supersonic speeds."

Bart shakes his head before in an instant he has picked Dinah up in his arms. "Hold on beautiful. You are about to take the Bart express." He then vanishes in a flash.

Clark carries AC to the plane while Bart comes back for Oliver and then Clark gets Victor. It all takes only a few minutes before they are all back on Oliver's private jet which was how they got here in the first place.

"Well I'll fly ahead and help Zatanna," Clark mentions.

"Me too," Bart offers more out of wanting to impress Zatanna than helping. "I mean I'll run ahead," he quickly corrects. Sometimes his mouth gets ahead of his brain. In the next instant he is gone.

Clark gets off the plane at a more human pace before he launches himself into the sky. This mission has made a few things clear. One Lex has gone way too far and has to be stopped one way or another. Two a very serious chat with Slayer HQ is going to be required which means, three, he guesses he can't put it off much longer. This almost certainly means that quite soon he will be face to face with Buffy. Problem is he still has no idea where they stand or even what he will say to her.

What he does know is that he misses her. He misses her smile, her wise cracking sense of humour, the way her tiny frame feels next to his own in his arms. The way their relationship ended before...it wasn't like they fell out of love. That never happened. He still loves her.

He loves her.

Yes he definitely still loves her.

In which case his fears shouldn't be fears at all but hope. Hope that they be together once more. Yes, Clark decides to believe. They can be together again.

* * *

_Author's Note: So there was the shirtless Oliver scene I mentioned and hey I threw in a shirtless Clark for free. As always thanks to everyone who wrote reviews._


	53. Part 4 Chapter 7: The ExFiles

Chapter 7: The Ex-Files

Riley Finn makes his way up the stairs and into the private jet belonging to Lex Luthor. Only a few short hours earlier he had been a military liaison and in charge of security in a facility that was now destroyed and he had a headache worse than what even Buffy could give him when she would hit too hard. Of course what he and Buffy had was long over. He had a wife, Sam, whom he loved dearly. Riley steps in the plane to find Lex just ending a phone call.

"That was your superiors Major Finn," Lex informs him.

Out of habit Riley straightens up at the mere mention of his superiors.

"They are most displeased as I am," Lex says with deathly seriousness.

"Permission to speak freely," Riley requests.

Lex chews the request over for a good minute as he stands up from behind his desk and moves over to his drink bar and pours himself a large scotch. He takes a drink before answering "Granted."

"I was never warned about any group with abilities such as these," Riley says in his own defence.

"Yes the Green Arrow and his little band of terrorists. I guess you wouldn't be told about them. Your superiors believe I exaggerate their threat. They consider your...sub-terrestrials the greater threat. More fool them." Lex takes another drink from his glass as he sits himself back down. "From what I am told one man defeated all your soldiers," Lex feels the time to mention this is now.

"He...I don't know what he was."

Lex picks up a report off his table from one of Riley's men. "Fast, strong, bullet-proof, dressed in black with an odd symbol on his chest." Lex shows a drawing of the symbol in the report to Riley. "This rendition of it correct in your opinion Major Finn?"

Riley looks at it. "Yes," he confirms.

"Then we have a bigger problem than just a few super-powered terrorists then."

"What do you mean?"

"The symbol is like many I have seen before and their origin is not of this world."

"What way do you mean 'Not of this world' Mr Luthor?"

"I'm talking extra-terrestrials Major Finn." Riley is too well disciplined to let any emption show on his face but somehow Lex deduces "I see you are sceptical. I'm surprised considering everything I know you have seen." Lex almost slams his glass down on his desk. "Well I have seen them Major Finn close up. I have seen what they can do and by comparison you, I, your sub-terrestrials are nothing by comparison. They have power the likes of us lesser mortals can only dream of. That is why I started this project. To protect the world from them."

Lex picks his glass back up and takes another long drink from it. He knew they would come back sooner or later. It was why he made this deal with the military from whom he learned of the Initiative and of sub-terrestrials. It occurred to him he might get from them what he failed to achieve with his super-soldier project 33.1 previously. He was close actually to constructing something that might be able to counter the alien threat. He would have succeeded by now if it wasn't for the Green Arrow always getting in his way. "Luckily for us," Lex begins, "all is not lost."

"Mr Luthor?" Riley queries.

"This facility was merely for the testing and examination of captured subjects. The main one for construction is far away from here."

"Construction of what?"

"Do you want to know?"

Riley schools in his curiosity. "That is not why I am here Mr Luthor. I am here to liaise and provide security."

Lex manages a small smile. "Spoken like a soldier. Luckily for you your superiors want you to remain so here is what will happen. The main facility will not be fully online for a couple more weeks so you can take some vacation time and then 2 weeks for now you will meet me in my base in Moscow."

"Mos..." Riley begins to say before thinking that asking too many questions is probably not wise. "Whatever you think is best Mr Luthor."

"Well then see you in 2 weeks. I'm sure you can find your own way out."

Riley salutes out of habit, turns and leaves the plane. Moscow? Does that mean the facility Luthor mention is in Russia? Possibly. Meanwhile he will use his vacation time to get some answers about what happened tonight from some old friends. It seems for his vacation Scotland is the venue of choice.

* * *

"What do you mean you can't discuss it?" Oliver practically shouts down the phone. He is on the phone to Faith trying to get some answers about why he wasn't told everything. Clark is there too, in Oliver's office, back at the mansion listening in. "Of course we'll take care of them," he says in reference to the slayers. "That isn't the issue," he argues. "What is is that I thought we were allies...there are good reasons for not telling us? What reasons?...Oh you can't tell me that either...you know this is doing nothing for establishing trust between us...you know...you're sorry...you promise to explain everything soon...well you better." Oliver then slams the phone down. He looks up to see Clark with a curious expression. "What?" he asks his friend.

"Faith apologised? Faith never apologises." It made Clark think there is something going on.

"Maybe you should fly over and confront them," Oliver suggests.

"I did think about it," Clark admits. "Then I remembered they have a whole bunch of witches who could do me irrevocable harm."

"And you would have to see Buffy," Oliver points out.

"That too." Although he says that because he hasn't told Oliver about his renewed belief that he and Buffy can sort out their issues and be reunited. As far as not going Clark has decided not to force a meeting and simply wait for it to come in its own good time.

Oliver sighs and rubs his head as a migraine like pain forms there. Dinah enters the room carrying a glass of water and a couple of aspirins. She knew Oliver would be needing them. Oliver gives her a smile and a thanks as he takes the pills and the water from her.

Clark watches Dinah return the smile curiously. It is almost like she...nah. He is seeing things.

* * *

Later Clark is visiting the private medical facility where they brought everyone. He is looking for one in particular as he strides past all the rooms. There she is as he reads the name on the door. _Violet. _He knocks and enters. "Hi Vi. How are you felling?"

Vi looks up from her bed a lot brighter now that time had passed for the drugs to leave her body. "Oh hey Clark. Better. Thanks." Vi takes a moment to do here what she couldn't do back in that...place and study Clark. She had heard all about what transpired with him and Buffy. The slayer gossip grapevine was very good.

Clark sits down on the chair next to the bed. "I need to ask you a few questions."

"About?"

"How you ended up where we found you. Faith was less than forthcoming."

Vi shrugs. "I don't know anything about that or what happened exactly. I was in Russia leading a team looking for a demon nest. We were having a meeting with the local slayer group when masked men burst in, darts get fired into us and then it all goes black. Afterwards they had us constantly drugged so it is all a little hazy. I do know that that place was not the first one we were in. We were in another, then they hooded us and moved us. We were on a plane for several hours I think then we were placed in the cell you found us in."

Clark listens silently and sympathetically.

Vi continues. "They performed tests on us and took blood samples. Why did they do that?"

Clark feels he should be honest. "Not entirely certain but before, the man who did this, tried to create a super-powered army. He couldn't make them work properly before because he lacked certain peptides that would allow varying abilities to reside in a single being. It seems he is trying again using vampires, demons, other people with abilities and now seemingly slayers in his search."

Vi shakes her head. "That won't work on us. Our powers are mystical. I'm certain I heard Willow say once that if you look at our DNA it is completely human."

"Won't stop Lex from trying," Clark has to sadly say in reference to his one-time friend. He takes Vi's hand into his own. "Look don't you worry about that anymore. You rest up and we'll stop Lex as soon as Faith tells us what she knows exactly. Otherwise we are going to end up stepping on each other's toes and mess it up completely."

* * *

Zatanna steps into the room Oliver generously provided for her. She was going to get some sleep. She was exhausted. Teleporting people about and then making sure the demons she rescued were sent to the right place was extremely draining. She had the connections to the mystical world so it was her that had to oversee it so sleep was not something she had had in quite some time. She closes the door behind her and strips off her coat.

"You're late," a gruff voice says from the shadows.

Zatanna closes her eyes and suppresses a groan. She is too tired to even be surprised by _him _showing up. She turns to face him. "How can I be late exactly? This isn't my home and you are not my father last time I checked. In fact last time I checked we weren't anything to each other because you ran off," she says snidely.

From the shadows a tall imposing man in black armour steps forward. On his head is a cowl with pointy ears and on his chest the symbol of a bat.

"Why are you here Bruce?" Zatanna asks him bluntly.

"I heard you accepted Oliver's offer."

Zee is not going to bother asking how he knows that because she knows he won't tell her. Instead she will go with "How is that any of your damn business?"

"Your well-being is my business."

Zee scoffs loudly. "Since when?"

"Since your father died. Someone has to watch out for you."

"Oh and that someone has to be you does it?"

"Oliver is stepping into worlds he doesn't understand," Bruce cautions her.

"And you do?" she asks sceptically. Before he can respond she puts her hand up to stop him. "Ok look I know Oliver only has a surface understanding of the basics but why do you think I am here? To bolster up the pretty looks ratio?" She shakes her head. "Bruce stop acting like my over-protective brother, boyfriend or parent because you are not any of them. Particularly not the second one since you ran off!"

"You said that already."

"Don't even try to be cute," she fires back.

Bruce wasn't or at least he doesn't think he is but Oliver has been stepping too close to the darkness recently. Bruce knows all about darkness from the day he lost his parents his world has been filled with it. From that day he has done all he can to learn how to fight it from whoever would teach him wherever in the world they were and that means he has seen a lot of things that most people have no idea exist. It is something he will not allow Zee to be anywhere near if he can help it.

Zee lets out a weary breath. "Just go Bruce. I'm tired."

He folds his arms defiantly and Zee eyes light up a fire. "Bruce I will only say this once before I really lose it. Get out!" she screams at him.

It is then the door to the room flies open and standing there is Clark looking quite imposing. He had easily heard Zatanna's scream and now he sees why she was. "What is going on?" he asks.

"None of your business," Bruce rudely and dismissively tells Clark.

Clark walks forward. "When one of my friend's is upset it becomes my business," he says in a no nonsense matter-of-fact way.

Zatanna raises her hand to Clark's chest to stop him before he gets too near to Bruce. "It's alright. He was just leaving."

Bruce eyes the tall young man whose eyes are set as hard as steel. He must be new too because Bruce hadn't seen him before. He will have to remember to find out all he can which is why he won't push it right now since that would leave him at a disadvantage considering how Oliver has been recruiting people with abilities. "We'll discuss this more another time," he informs Zee.

"No we won't," she tells him in no uncertain terms. "You think I'm in danger. Two things are wrong there. One I can look after myself and two even if I can't I have a whole team of people here for me which is more than you ever were."

That barb cuts quite close to the quick even Bruce will have to admit. With that he turns and exits through the window from which he entered. Clark goes go to it but when he gets there he sees nothing at all. No sign of the Batman anywhere even to his vision. Now how did he do that? He turns round to find Zatanna has slumped onto the bed. "You alright?" he asks her.

"Oh sure. I love meeting up with former jackass boyfriends who think they have a right to micromanage my life," she says with the full force of her sarcasm.

"You really dated him?"

"I was young and foolish," she says as way of an explanation. "And our parents were friends," she adds for good measure. "Hmm maybe next time I should just break out all his embarrassing stories of when we were little. He hates when I do that."

Clark lips curve up into a smile. Zatanna was feisty as well as funny. "Well I'll leave you to get some sleep."

Zatanna answers with a nod as she yawns and Clark leaves her to crawl into bed where she hopes she can dream about kind sweet blue-eyed farm boys and not emotionally distance millionaires who need a serious attitude adjustment.

* * *

"Halt! Identify yourself!"

"Finn, Riley."

Riley stops at the perimeter of the castle grounds as about half a dozen well-armed slayers surround him. He sees one talk into a radio.

"Head honcho says to bring him in for interrogation," she tells the others.

"Wait a second..." Riley starts to protests before he is gagged, bounded and hooded. He gets roughly dragged along for awhile before he finds himself forcibly made to sit down.

"Remove the hood," a voice Riley knows orders. The hood comes off, Riley's eyes take a second to adjust to the light in his face to find standing there is "Xander!"

"Do I know you?" Xander asks pretending he doesn't.

Riley groans. "Xander. Really not in the mood for games."

"Well get use to it soldier boy."

Riley turns his head to find a brunette with a smirk. "You!" he spits out in anger at.

"I think he remembers you Faith," Xander comments.

"Of course he does. I may have been in B's body but no-one forgets a tumble in the sack with me," she boasts.

Riley strains to break his restraints.

"Relax Finn," Xander tells him. "She is one of the white hats now."

Riley stops. "Where's Buffy?" he demands to know.

"Around," Xander answers vaguely.

"Xander I'm not really in the mood for this. This is important."

"What isn't around here? We're trying to save the world if you recall."

"And if you recall I agreed to feed you information on Lex Luthor's operation despite the fact he is the middle of recreating the Initiative which involves me paying along with something I hate doing especially when it meant I couldn't help the slayers he captured."

"Yes we know," Xander says a little more solemnly. "That's why we arranged their rescue."

"You? Those guys were working for you?"

"More like working with us actually. We have a sort of alliance."

Riley guesses he should be surprised but he isn't. "Look that is one of the reasons why I'm here. Those guys, well one of them at least, he was really powerful. Like scary powerful," he says using terms he would not normally use but decides to phrase it in 'Scooby' speak.

"Which one?" Xander asks.

"He was tall, dark hair, blue eyes, was superstrong and fast...like moved so fast he was a blur fast. He was dressed in black with this symbol on his chest."

Xander and Faith exchange a look. "This symbol wouldn't resemble an S inside a diamond would it?" Xander asks Riley suspecting he knows who Riley is on about.

"You know him...of course you do."

"He's good," Faith assures Riley. "He...well he use to help us but some...stuff happened several months back and he went off by himself. Didn't know he had hooked up with Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men."

Riley shakes his head and has a small laugh. "Luthor thinks he is an alien."

Xander and Faith say nothing to confirm that. They just move on. "What did you learn about what Luthor is up to?"

"How about you free me first and let me see Buffy?"

"How about you tell us what you know then we free you," a new voice says from the shadows of the room.

"Buffy?" Riley inquires. "That you?"

Buffy steps forward into the light so her ex-boyfriend can see her.

"You were here the whole time?"

Buffy folds her arms across her chest. "Talk," she demands.

"Buffy what is up with this?"

"Oh I don't know how about if your precious military finds out we exist that they will hunt us down like dogs. It is bad enough Lex Luthor is on to us. Now I wonder how that happened?"

"You think it was me?" Riley asks her incredulously. "Buffy I have done everything I can to help you. I don't know how Luthor found out but I can promise you it wasn't from me."

Buffy eyes Riley intently for a few minutes. "Free him," she finally decides that he is telling the truth.

Faith steps forward, flips a knife out of seemingly nowhere and cuts him free. Riley takes a moment to rub his wrists.

"I'm sorry," Buffy apologises. "But somehow Lex Luthor found out about us. We have gone into a total lock-down until we find out where the leak is." Which is why they never told Oliver the whole truth either as much as they knew that he would resent them for doing so. It was why they asked them to undertake the mission in the first place. "Has Lex told the military anything?" she asks.

"No. He seems to be keeping that information to himself."

Buffy nods. It fits in with everything Clark told her about Lex. "We're still missing a few girls," she mentions to him.

"He mentioned something about a main facility. I'm to meet him in Moscow in 10 days where he will take me to the facility and I will take charge of the security."

"Did he say where this facility is?"

Riley shakes his head. "No but that is no surprise. He is quite paranoid about information like that."

Buffy ponders it for a few moments. "We'll have to fit you with a tracer."

"That would be detected," Riley points out the flaw.

Buffy corrects herself. "What I meant is that Will will fit you with a magical tracer. They won't detect that."

* * *

A little later Buffy and Riley are walking along the battlements. "I am sorry about the whole interrogation thing-y," she says again.

"It's alright. I get it."

Buffy shakes her head. "Why do all you corn fed farm boys have to be so damn nice and understanding?" she asks almost frustrated. She would almost prefer it if they would get mad at her or something.

"It's part of the charm."

That is what Clark would have probably said too and thinking that longing strikes her deeply. She wonders how he is, if he is ok, does he miss her like she finds herself missing him?

"Buffy I have to ask about these people who attacked the facility."

"What about them?"

"Are you sure about them?"

"They're good people and believe you me I wouldn't have said that once upon a time. In fact I didn't. I lost my temper and hit Mr Robin Hood wannabe...quite hard if I do say so myself. It felt good."

Riley chuckles at that last admission.

"How's Sam?" she asks him about his wife.

"Fine. Good. Busy. We haven't seen much of each other lately."

"I'm sorry," she says sympathetically.

"Thanks. What about you?"

"Um...no there's no-one at the minute. There was someone awhile back but...stuff happened."

Riley decides to accept her vagueness as an sign not to press too deeply. However he needs to know one thing. "Wasn't Spike was it?"

Buffy laughs out-loud. "No. God no. He and I...no. That was never going to work especially with him being dead now and all."

"He was already dead," Riley says somewhat confused.

"I mean dead dead. Pile of dust dead," she elaborates.

"Oh. I mean I only asked because I heard some rumours about the two of you."

"That...it's complicated. I was back from the dead and I was in a really messed-up place. The last guy I was referring to...he was definitely alive. In fact you may even have liked him. He was a farm boy too."

"Really? From where?"

"Kansas. A place called Smallville."

"Where the meteor infected are from," Riley comments from what Luthor allowed him to know.

"Yeah. Funny thing was I had never even heard of it until I ended up there. It is really...small."

"Any reason you were there?"

Buffy shrugs. "I had just saved the world and needed some alone time. I just got on a bus at random and when it drove there I decided that this was the place to stop and get my head back together. I never planned to meet anyone. He just showed up where I was working and hit me with that farm boy charm. It was pretty useless resisting after that."

"As I recall you resisted me."

"Yes well there is a lot more to it than that and I am not in the mood to talk about it."

"He hurt you," Riley guesses at how it must have ended from the emotions he can detect in Buffy's voice.

"We hurt each other. I said some things. He said some things. We both lost something precious." The something precious being their daughter. "I haven't seen him in 8 months and before you go all protective big brother over that there are reasons."

"Which you are not in a mood to tell me right?"

"It would take too long. It is complicated which is just about the story of my whole life and really I think there are rules against talking about this kind of thing with an ex so can we move on?"

"Sure," Riley says in understanding. "I was meaning to ask what you knew about the guy who almost gave me a concussion."

Which is not moving on at all because that guy was Clark. "What about him?"

"Buffy I saw enough to know he could have killed me and my men easily," Riley says with genuine concern and, he will admit, fear.

"Could have but didn't," Buffy feels it is important to point out. "He hates killing. He has this enormous and sometimes frankly annoying guilt complex and even after I explained about the soulless nature of vampires and demons I could tell it ate at him slightly about what he was doing. Can you or I say the same?"

Well no Riley can't say that it does which may not be at all a good thing now he thinks about it. "Is there any point in me asking you to tell me what he is because I saw all the files on what Luthor called the meteor infected and none of them had power like that guy so that leaves something other than enhanced human."

"Faith told you what he was. A white hat. That is all you need to know," she says somewhat abrasively.

"A simple 'No Riley there is no point in you asking' would have sufficed."

Buffy shrugs. "I like to make sure I get my point across."

Riley smiles. "Still with the wise cracks I see."

"Need to keep in practice," Buffy explains sounding perfectly serious.

"So what will happen after Willow sticks this tracer on me?" Riley asks deciding to refocus on the job.

"Once we are sure that your location is the facility we are looking for we will take it down and whatever it is Lex Luthor is trying to create this time."

"This time?" Riley queries.

"There was this thing before with resurrecting fallen soldiers as super weapons." She and Clark had had to fight them after his bizarre double and Brainiac managed to make them functional. That was not easy as they were really strong but they won which in the end is all that matters.

"That sounds familiar," Riley tells her.

"Yeah well no demons on this occasion. Just trying to imprint the abilities of those meteor infected into one body. He was stopped that time and we will stop him this time too though if you could give me any idea what he is actually creating that would be useful."

"Sorry. No. Not privy to info like that but he was given access to the plans about Adam," he says in reference to the Initiative's human/demon cyborg creation.

"Oh that's encouraging," Buffy says with the necessary sarcasm. "You know you would think people would learn not to repeat the same mistakes but no and who has to clean up the mess? Oh that's right. Me!" she complains bitterly.

"We'll stop whatever it is Buffy. Believe me I have no wish to see anything remotely like the Initiative back."

Oh Buffy has no doubts they can stop it. Not really. Her main issue is that it will almost certainly need the skills of people who are use to jobs like this. People like Oliver Queen and company and of course that now inevitably means seeing Clark again. She is torn between her longing to see him and her dread at seeing him. What if what they had is totally lost now? Then that would just leaves them as bitter exes which is a horrendous thought really. Buffy misses him, She misses his smile, his warm humour, the way he would hold her in bed where he would gently run his hands up and down her back. God she loves him.

She loves him.

Buffy muses on that revelation for a moment. Yes she definitely still loves him and at that moment her fears turn into hope that maybe, just maybe she and Clark can be together again.

* * *

_Author's Note: As always thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. _


	54. Part 4 Chapter 8: Meeting Again

Chapter 8: Meeting Again for the First Time

In the War Room at Slayer HQ Buffy watches the little red dot flash on the magical projection of the globe which indicates Riley's whereabouts.

"He has been there for 3 days," Willow informs everyone else in the room. Faith, Giles, Xander, the other slayers.

"Chilly," Xander can't help but remark.

This is because the dot shows that Riley is literally in the middle of Siberia. That will make it more awkward to take the facility he is at down. Buffy may need to get some thermal underwear.

Dammit!

She was hoping when they saw Clark again she could wear something that would show off every inch of what he has been missing these last...god what is it now, 8 & ½ months.

Buffy knows she is ready now to see him. She knows she still loves him. Once before she said she couldn't look at him because he reminded her of Karen and that it hurt too much. She still misses her daughter but she is sure she can look at Clark now. She has been dreaming of him lately and she has had no problem in the dreams looking at him and in the dreams doing a hell of a lot more than look at him. It is like since she worked out she still loves him her mind has suddenly caught up with the fact she has been starved of some lovin for quite some length of time now.

Of course she knows they have a lot to sort through and a lot to talk about first but that doesn't mean she can't physically want him and in turn dress to make him want her. She is human after all with human needs and human desires only they tend to be slightly magnified by her being a slayer.

"So will we contact Justice?" one of the slayers asking using the codename Oliver uses for his group. Everyone looks at Buffy and then Faith in turn.

"B?" Faith prompts wanting to know what Buffy thinks.

"Hmm...oh sure. I guess we should. They have more experience at this than us."

Faith turns to Willow. "Contact your girlfriend and let her know. We'll meet up wherever they think best," Faith decides.

Willow nods in agreement.

* * *

"No...definitely not...oh hell no...maybe...no."

"Buffy what are you doing?"

Buffy stops for a second to see Willow at her doorway. "What does it look like I am doing?"

Willow steps into Buffy's room trying to walk around the layers of clothes lying everywhere. "It looks like you are making a mess," Willow dryly remarks.

"No," Buffy corrects her. "I'm choosing what to take with us when we meet up with Justice."

Willow daintily picks up a daring piece of lingerie that she guesses is in the 'In' pile. "Dressing for the mission or dressing for Clark?" she wryly observes.

Buffy's frown hits new depths as she snatches the offending piece from Willow's grasp. "I am totally focussed only on the mission Will," Buffy assures Willow or at least tries to sound like she is.

A smile comes to Willow's lips. It had not escaped her attention how much better Buffy had seemed lately. She was more cheerful, happier, almost like her old self. Not that in private Willow hadn't seen that there was still some pain there. There probably always would be where Karen was involved but Will reckons that Buffy is just about there and ready to try and see if she can salvage her relationship with Clark. "Buffy there is nothing wrong in admitting you want him," Willow points out to her friend.

"Ok I want him. Happy now?"

"Yes!" Willow says emphatically. "All I've wanted for the last 8 months is for you to snap out of whatever funk the First hit you with and be happy. I've hated how miserable you've been and...look I'm trying not to be insensitive or anything. I know I can't even begin to imagine the pain you went through but as your friend I am predispositioned to be inclined to wish you to be happy."

Buffy shakes her head and with a small laugh says "Chloe is a bad influence on you."

"I...say what?"

"Will you are never that blunt...ever. That is Chloe rubbing off on you."

Willow cottons on to what Buffy means. "Oh...is that a bad thing?"

Buffy smiles a little lopsidedly. "No. It's really not." Buffy then looks at the provocative piece of lingerie still in her hands and sighs. "It's not fair you know," she laments.

"What isn't?"

"That I really won't get to wear this. I mean thermals are more likely the order of business where we are going."

Willow shakes her head. "I don't get why you keep buying stuff like that for a man who has x-ray vision." and can therefore see through Buffy's, and anyone else's, clothes whenever he feels like it.

"It's the principle of the thing Will!" Buffy passionately fires back.

"You really are ready to see him aren't you," Willow surmises from the passion in Buffy's voice.

Buffy nods. "I am. I just hope he is ready to see me."

"Buffy...no-one, no matter how long they have known you, can ever be ready to see you."

"Oh funny Will," Buffy responds humourlessly. "That makes me feel soooo much better," she then adds with sarcasm.

Willow chuckles. "Look I'm sure it will all be ok. After all your utter obsession these last few months with training and fighting means you have probably never been in better shape. I mean from a physical stand point alone Clark would have to be dead not to want you."

Buffy quickly checks herself in the mirror. Willow is right. Even through her clothes she thinks it shows how good a shape she is in. She has definitely added some muscle mass yet without losing what curves she possessed. She looks at the piece of lingerie in her hands again. Oh what the hell she finally decides as she throws it in the 'In' pile once and for all. So she will be a little chilly. With a little luck it will be totally worth it.

* * *

Oliver knocks on the door to the bathroom on his private jet that is flying them to Russia where they will meet up with a team led by Buffy and together they will take down Lex's new facility hopefully before he finishes creating whatever abomination of nature he is trying to create this time. When the door doesn't open Oliver opens it himself since it is not locked. Inside he finds Clark almost desperately trying to sort out his hair. "I never took you for vain," Oliver remarks.

"I'm not," Clark quickly contradicts Oliver's assertion. "I'm just..."

"Trying to look good for Buffy," Oliver puts forward.

Clark turns round with a rueful expression. "That obvious?"

Oliver manages a smile. Ever since Clark found out that they would be meeting Buffy on this mission he has been practically, and a few times literally, walking on air. Oliver is happy for his friend that he seems so much happier. "You ready for this?"

Clark nods. "Yeah. I mean I know we have a ton of stuff to talk and work through yet I just can't wait to..."

"Hug her? Kiss her? Throw her down on the bed and rip all her clothes off?"

Clark's face darkens a bit. "Oliver," he tells him off.

Oliver holds his hands up. "Joking."

Clark shakes his head. "I knew I should have just flown by myself," he mutters.

"Except that kind of ruins the idea of being a team there Clark if you run off ahead," Oliver tries to point out.

"Yeah but...planes are so slow," he complains.

"I hear you Bro," Bart says in agreement as he comes up behind Oliver. "It is like standing still."

Oliver scoffs. "You don't know the meaning of standing still." Bart never stands still. He is always doing something.

"It is not my fault you are so slow...old man," Bart says deliberately picking on the fact Oliver is quite a few years older than he is.

Oliver swipes at Bart to hit him but Bart dodges it easily and sticks his tongue out at Oliver. "You see what I have to put up with," Oliver complains to Clark only to find Clark is smiling in amusement. "It isn't funny Clark."

"Actually it kind of is."

"I think I liked it better when you were miserable," Oliver grumbles.

"Well it looks to me like you are well on your way to filling my role," Clark wryly observes which makes Bart laugh.

"Yeah so are so right," Bart says in agreement. "He is turning into the Grinch."

"Well...right colour certainly."

Oliver shakes his head and just waves the two of them off before he heads back to find some aspirin for the headache that is rapidly forming. If Bart wasn't bad enough now he has Clark to deal with.

As Oliver leaves Clark can't help but let out a chuckle.

"That was great," Bart just has to say in great amusement. Although saying that winding Oliver up was so easy to almost make it too easy and hence lessen the enjoyment.

"True but I almost feel bad for him."

"Don't worry about it. He'll get over it. Besides," Bart says as he zips next to Clark and puts his arm around Clark's shoulder. "us speedsters have to stick together against all these killjoys," he says in reference to the rest of the gang.

Just then Dinah comes over to the two of them. "We're coming into land," she informs them and with that Clark follows behind her and Bart back to his seat.

* * *

Buffy along with Faith, Willow, Xander and Giles enter Queen Industries' base in Moscow. This is where they will meet up and strategize the plan of attack on Lex's facility. It is also certainly where she will see Clark again. As the get into the elevator and it starts to rise up through all the floors her heart feels like it will burst out of her chest it is beating so fast and hard.

The elevator stops and the doors slide open. The gang walk out into a room filled with computers and monitors like the command centre back at the HQ. Suddenly a red blur zooms up next to Faith.

"Hola senorita!" Bart greets her in a less than subtle attempt at flirting that has even Faith rolling her eyes.

"Bart!" Oliver's less than dulcet tones shout at the young man. "Give it a rest for once."

Buffy is completely ignoring this as her eyes search the room for one person in particular. She barely gives it a thought as her eyes pass over the two ladies, Dinah and Zatanna, or AC or Victor. It is then she spots him standing on the far side of the room in the corner dressed all in black, so not his colour by the way.

It had been so long since she has seen him and he looks so different a fleeting thought enters Buffy's head that it is almost like meeting him again for the first time. The way he is making her heart race is certainly like the first time she laid eyes upon him. He still looks as gorgeous now as he did then.

Clark didn't need to look. He knew she was there. He had heard the unique rhythm of her heart beat as soon as she entered the building and his heart had seemed to beat faster in response. He finally forces his eyes to turn in her direction and he takes what to him is several moments but to anyone else is only an instant to drink in every inch of her.

It had been so long since he had last set eyes on her and with his perfect memory he can compare her to that last time and see that she does look different. A bit leaner, more muscular but still as beautiful as the first time he laid eyes upon her form. In some ways he feels like he did back then. Like he is meeting her again for the first time.

Their eyes lock onto each other and for what seems the longest time they just stare at each other and try to work out what exactly it is they are feeling. Before they can a voice breaks into both their consciousnesses.

"So do we finally get to know why you didn't tell us about the slayers Lex had?" Oliver asks any one of Buffy's group, his tone indicates an extreme unhappiness that he hadn't been given that information before.

Clark sighs a little. Down to business he guesses.

* * *

Later Buffy is looking for Clark after their meeting broke up. Clark just seemed to vanish which is something she had forgotten he is annoyingly good at. Damn superspeed. The meeting was good Buffy supposes. They gave Oliver the explanation he wanted which was that because there seemed to be a leak somewhere she, Faith, Willow, Xander and Giles had decided to make information need to know and that he didn't absolutely need to know that there were slayers in particular in Lex's custody since the mission was to rescue anyone worth rescuing.

After that they swapped info. They gave Oliver the location of where Riley, and hopefully, by extension where this facility is. Oliver moved some satellites about, took a few pictures and seriously right in the middle of frickin Siberia. Assaulting that was going to take some planning. More than they could do in one meeting so this is them having a lunch break or whatever but back to what she was doing. Finding Clark.

It is the sound of laughter that finally alerts her to his location. Buffy steps into a lounge and finds Clark sharing what seems to be a joke with the brunette in the top-hat. At the sight Buffy will freely admit jealously swells up inside her and a urge to knock the brunette's head off has to be dampened down.

It takes only a moment until Clark notices her. "Buffy."

"Am I interrupting because you know I could go get some lunch and come back."

A small smile comes to Clark's lips unbidden. "No. It's fine." He turns to his companion. "Zee could you give us a few moments."

Zatanna replies, a little deflated at the sight of how easily Clark's attention is grabbed by the blond, "Sure."

As she exits the room Buffy tried her best to bore a hole into Zatanna with her gaze.

"How are you?" Clark asks snapping her attention back to the here and now.

"Um...good," she answers lamely because despite rehearsing this scene like a million times on the trip here it seems her prepared answer has deserted her mind. "You?" she asks back.

Clark shrugs. "You know. Pretty much the same. Virtually invulnerable to harm and all that."

Buffy nods and wanders around the room a little. It takes a few moments before she speaks again and when she does Clark speaks at the same time, both of them saying the same thing.

"I'm sorry!"

Clark's brow furrows into a frown in an instant. "Why are you sorry? I'm the one who ran off," he admits with some shame.

"And I'm the one that accused you of doing something I know you would never do." i.e. cheating on her with Faith. "Not to mention the whole looking at you hurts because you remind me of her." She means Karen and in particular the fact Karen had Clark's eyes.

"I never held that against you," Clark says softly and truthfully. She was upset and in grief. He isn't so dense not to be able to see that.

Buffy manages a tiny smile. "We really are a couple of screw-ups aren't we."

"Well maybe you are," he jests lightly.

Buffy strides forward and punches him in the shoulder for that.

"Ow!" Clark complains.

Buffy rolls his eyes. "Oh please. I know that doesn't hurt you."

"Well ok maybe not ow exactly but I do feel it you know. I think you are stronger than I remember."

"I've been working out," she explains to him.

Clark's eyes blatantly roam up and down Buffy's form. "I noticed," he says without meaning to.

"Still just a guy aren't you."

Clark thinks on his reply for a minute. "Is there any answer that won't get me into trouble?" he inquiries.

Buffy punches him in the shoulder again. "No," she says too sweetly.

Clark rubs his shoulder. "Haven't missed this part," he grumbles.

Buffy chuckles. God 8 months later and Clark is still an utter goofball and an adorable one at that.

"But I have missed you," Clark says sincerely.

Buffy takes a breath before responding. "I missed you too."

"So...um...where do we go from here?" he asks while rubbing the back of his neck in his habitual nervous habit.

"I have no idea. I mean I guess we are suppose to talk or something. Share our feelings."

"That would be the smart thing to do," Clark agrees.

"Yeah." Buffy's eyes drift to his face. His perfect beautiful face and looks into his eyes and you know what it doesn't hurt anymore to look at them. Now she has had time to work through her grief Clark's eyes help her remember Karen in a positive light and not the dark one of pain at her loss. "That would be the smart thing to do," she says repeating his words, "but I've never been one to do the smartest thing."

Clark stares down and into Buffy's emerald green eyes and within can see a look of hunger and desire that stirs a fire in inside him he hasn't felt since they parted ways. "Um...what?" he asks his voice reduced to nothing but a squeak.

Buffy moves right in front of him, takes Clark's arms and places them around her waist while she raises her hands and locks them around his neck. "Sometimes Clark it is best not to think too much and just allow yourself to act on your feelings. Want to take a guess at what my feelings are telling me to do right now?"

Clark audibly gulps. Acting on impulse has never been one of his character traits really. He is Kryptonian and his people tended to act upon rational logic rather than their feelings and that part of him is saying that he and Buffy have so much they really should talk through first before diving back in to their relationship. On the other hand he was raised amongst humans and oh dear god has he missed the feeling of being this close to her. The two halves of his psyche wage war for a few moments before his eyes fall upon her perfect lips. Oh god how he wishes to taste them again and with that the argument in his head ends and Clark starts to lower his head so he can bring his lips to hers.

In what seems like an eternity their lips draw closer and closer together until they are close enough to feel each other's breaths. Both their mouths part slightly in preparation for the inevitable collision and just as they are about to come together...Clark's communicator goes off.

"Clark!" Oliver's less than dulcet tones scream in his ear making him almost literally jump back. With great regret and annoyance at Oliver for interrupting this moment Clark touches the communicator in his ear to activate it.

"Yes Oliver. What is it?" Clark asks as Buffy looking as disappointed as Clark is feeling takes a few steps away leaving Clark feeling a little bereft due to the absence of her. For more than a few moments there he really desperately wanted her in that physical way like he remembered.

Buffy dampens down her urges as she watches Clark listen to whatever it is Oliver is saying. Damn! They were so close there as well. She hopes that this is not going to be their only moment or something. Ok yes she knows that her and Clark have like a ton of stuff to work through but bottom line is that for that moment all she could think of was that she desperately wanted Clark in that physical way like she remembered. She can see from Clark's expression as he listens to Oliver that they are going to have to get back to the business at hand and that her and him will have to be postponed for awhile. She'll live with that for now as long as she and Clark get another moment because if they don't she will skin Oliver alive for ruining this one. She swears she will.

* * *

Meanwhile elsewhere...

The life of a spy. Not something Riley Finn ever thought he would be doing. No he was a soldier straight and simple. Of course his life was so much simpler once upon a time. Then he met Buffy Summers and ever since then his life has been a roller-coaster. Currently this feeling is not helped any by the absence of the woman who has become his anchor. His wife Sam. Sometimes Riley wonders how she puts up with him dedicating so much of his loyalty and time to another woman...and that sounds so bad. Thank god he is only thinking this in his head.

Anyway that aside his spying so far had not delivered any results as to what Lex Luthor is up to. There was a part of the facility that Lex had barred him from and despite Riley's best and discrete efforts he hadn't found a way in yet. It makes Riley wonder if Lex has his suspicions about him.

Riley makes his way purposefully along the winding corridors of this facility thankful it is well heated compared to the frigid cold outside. It is as he is coming to the door to the restricted part of the facility he finds Lex Luthor standing there looking as if he is waiting for something.

"Ah there you are Major Finn," Lex says to him.

Riley comes to a stop when he and Lex are a few feet apart.

"You are just in time," Lex announces.

"For what?" Riley inquires.

Lex smiles. "I've decided it is time to let you in on what we are doing here." Lex then places his hand on a scanner next to the door and punches in a access code on top of that and the door slides open. Lex stands to the side and gestures for Riley to enter first. Riley cautiously steps forward and enters the room with Lex following on behind.

Inside the room Riley finds himself on a raised platform looking down at scientist working around machines and liquid filled tubes of all shapes and sizes. Lex then places his hand on Riley's shoulder.

"Welcome to the future of our planet's defence Major Finn," Lex says with what almost sounds like pride in what he is doing here. "Welcome to Project Metallo."

* * *

_Author's Note: As always a big thanks to everyone who wrote reviews._


	55. Part 4 Chapter 9: Metallo

Chapter 9: Metallo

It is the oddest feeling being part man part machine. The odd part is that there are pieces of his body that don't possess any feeling. The machine parts. Those were mostly implanted around his body to reinforce the strength of his bones and joints granting him, supposedly, inhuman levels of strength. At least that is what he gathered from the conversations he overheard while he was being worked on. He has to wonder if those working on him even realise that he is listening to everything they say around him or if they do then they obviously don't care that he hears. Along with the machine parts there were other foreign pieces of tissue that had been grafted to and in him because for some reason they could interact successfully with the technology inside his body when human tissue could not. All in all it had left him looking like Frankenstein's monster. Or so he has heard one of them say.

Metallo.

That is what they called him now due to the fact that was the name of the metal alloy they were using to reinforce his skeletal structure. It was supposedly indestructible.

Metallo.

It wasn't his original name. What was his original name?

John...something. Dammit. What was it again? He is sure he still knows it. They may have taken a lot of his other memories but he will not forget his name. It is John...what?

It begins with D...no. B? Doesn't sound right. C. Yes it starts with C. He is sure. So that makes his name John...John...C...orben.

Yes. That was it.

John Corben.

He knows that there is or was much more in his mind once but now it all seems so far away...out of his reach. He tries and tries but he can't quite seem to remember it. One day he is determined he will remember.

His eyes open and through the liquid that fills the tube he is currently residing in he can see two people have come to gawk at him. A bald man and what looks like a soldier.

Let them gawk and stare at the freak. What does John care. It isn't like he can do anything about it. He can't move. He tries to but his limbs won't respond to the commands his brain sends. He has tubes inserted all over his body feeding it everything it needs to survive. He would die without them but like he said he doesn't care. After all why should he?

He has no heart...literally. They removed it...he doesn't know how long ago it was. Time seems pretty meaningless when you spend a lot of your time floating in a tube. Where his heart was is now a empty metal chamber that seems to be waiting for something to be placed inside it.

With little else to do John simply watches his two new visitors looking at him as the bald one speaks, most likely informing the other one all about the freak in the tube.

Hmm. John wonders where the girl that usually accompanies the bald man is.

* * *

'Oh god' Riley thinks to himself as he sees what it is Lex is creating or has created. It is Adam all over again and it is only going to end the same way all over again. What he had learned from the Initiative is that messing about with the fundamental laws of nature tends to end up in extremely bad unforeseen events.

"Impressive isn't he," Lex boasts.

Riley bites back his less than pleasant initial response to that and simply avoids saying a direct response back. "You based him off Adam."

"Partially," Lex admits. "But I would like to think I learned from the mistakes made by Dr Walsh," he says in reference to the scientist who created Adam before Adam killed her and turned her in a mindless working zombie drone. "For example Metallo's mind here was wiped. The person he was is gone and a new more sympathetic programming has been imprinted onto his mind. Also there will be no limitless uranium power source. We plan to use something much better." Better in the sense that it is what Lex knows to be the aliens' weakness.

Lex signals at one of the scientists who comes across pushing a trolley with a square lead box upon it. Lex picks it up and opens the lid to reveal the glowing green rock inside. "This is what we will use to power Metallo Major Finn. This is what we will use to power all the Metallos."

"All the Metallos?" Riley queries at the plural.

Lex gestures at the one in the tube. "This is merely the prototype. We will obviously need to run a few tests to see how he functions in a combat situation. In fact I already have the perfect subjects to test him against." Lex reaches into his pocket, pull out what looks like a small remote and presses a button. A screen on the wall next to the tube lights up and in the image Riley can see several teenage girls.

The missing Slayers Buffy mentioned.

If Metallo is anything like as strong as Adam they don't stand a chance. Buffy had to use some sort of spell to enhance her abilities to stop Adam. It leaves Riley with a dilemma. He either does nothing and hopes Buffy makes her assault soon or he has to act and try and free the slayers and then make an escape. Considering 'Metallo' is obviously not fully functional yet that does give him a small amount of time to both wait for Buffy and plan on how to escape with the slayers if he has to do that.

Lex totally unaware of what is going through Riley's mind simply takes in his creation. He has been completely involved in the project from its inception to now standing on the threshold of a working prototype. His ally in all this had been most helpful. Her knowledge of demons and of these girls she referred to as slayers had allowed him to reach this point in a much shorter time than it would have otherwise taken. Best part is that all his ally was working for was the promise of revenge and as long as it didn't interfere in Lex's plans in any way he personally had no problem in allowing her to get her revenge.

Lex checks his watch. "Well now it is late," he announces. "Why don't we get some sleep and first thing tomorrow we can observe the installation of the power source into Metallo and see if his implants are all functioning."

Riley's response is a rather bland "Whatever you think best Mr Luthor."

* * *

Early the next morning before sunrise...

"Cold?"

"What was your first clue? The chattering teeth or my lips turning blue?"

Clark can't help but smile at Buffy's spunky answer. It is almost like old times if old times have them standing on a snow covered mound in the middle of Siberia looking down on a secret facility where god knows what is being created.

Buffy wrapped in what must be like a thousand layers of winter wear takes a few moments to take in Clark dressed simply in his black costume totally unaffected by the cold. She is slightly envious she will admit of his invulnerability to such things as extremes of heat and cold. On the other hand she is really happy that she and Clark end up being paired together for this. Of course her mind is very focussed on the mission. There are most likely the missing slayers down in that facility and she is going to rescue them. Well her, Clark, Faith, Xander, Willow, Giles, Oliver, Bart, Victor, AC, Dinah and that floozy magician she so doesn't like and whose name she is choosing not to remember right now.

To Buffy's surprise Clark wraps his arm around her to try and share his body warmth.

"Here. How's that?" he gently asks her.

Buffy would have to say that that is really nice. Not only is Clark warm but it brings back wonderful memories of times past when they would simply sit like this with his arm around her. Take away the snow and the freezing biting cold and Buffy would almost call it a perfect moment.

Clark briefly gazes at Buffy as she snuggles into him. He has really missed moments like this. Once this mission is over he and Buffy will really have to have that talk and understand where they are and see if they can get back to a place where moments like this are the norm.

Clark turns his gaze back onto the facility below. He had scanned all he could of it but parts of it must be lead lined as his eyes couldn't penetrate a significant part of the facility. Lex was taking paranoia to a whole new level it seemed. Clark wasn't sure what to really think of his old friend or what had happened to him. Once upon a time Clark was certain that their was a slither of goodness inside Lex but now...

Well Clark can contemplate that later. First things first was to put an end to this, hopefully, once and for all. At the moment he and Buffy are simply waiting for Cyborg to do his part and disable the security measures before they strike along with everyone else.

"Quick question," Buffy says.

"Shoot."

"Do we actually know what we are doing. I mean all those satellites couldn't give us a complete picture," she points out in reference to the satellite images they took. Parts of the facility were obscured. Shielded she recalls the term that was used.

"Oliver and the others have done this more times than me," Clark points out, "but most of Lex's facilities follow a similar design. The only real variables are what he is creating and how far along it is, whether it is operational or not."

"What if it is a cyborg like Adam?" Buffy queries. They had passed on what Riley said about Lex having access to the plans.

"Then we'll proceed as we discussed when you mentioned that," Clark replies. They had run through every scenario they could think of and Clark felt they were as prepared as they could be with the information that was available to them.

The lights of the facility down below them start flickering in a not as random as appears fashion. It is the signal.

"Cyborg's in," Clark says as he picks Buffy up and prepares to carry her. "Ready?" he asks her.

Buffy nods. "Show time."

Clark gives her a small smile and zips into superspeed.

* * *

In the facility itself Lex, with Riley beside him, is observing as Metallo is removed from his storage tube and strapped to a table for the procedure to install his power source.

As he lies there John wonders what it is they plan to do to him now. They have already torn him down. He doesn't think they can do much else to him. He still can't move any of his limbs. His thoughts seems to jump around just to fill in the time. His eyes look to the side as a lead box on a trolley is brought over.

The piece of meteor rock is brought on a trolley. The lid of the box it is in is just being opened when the lights start to flicker. A few seconds after that the alarm sounds.

Anger quickly wells up inside of Lex. He doesn't even need to be told what the cause of this is. He knows.

Green Arrow.

It can only be Green Arrow and his little band. Well then all the better because this time Lex is ready for them.

"Continue the implantation," Lex orders in regards to Metallo and the doctors do as instructed. Lex turns to Riley next. "Come with me Major Finn. I want you to see the surprise I have in store for our guests."

Riley follows as Lex rapidly moves towards a door that must lead to another part of the facility he hasn't seen. Riley is really starting to wonder why he is here if Lex was keeping so much from him. It can't just be that his superiors insisted that he remain because Riley feels Lex could care less about what the US military want.

Riley continues to follow Lex through the door, along the corridor on the other side to another door. They enter through that into a large room full of what Riley would call training equipment in various stages of wear and destruction. From the other side of the room, a door is opened and 5 young people enter in identical black uniforms. They line-up in front of him and Lex. What catches Riley's eye as he carefully observes these people is the look in their eyes. He would describe it as vacant or maybe a better term is controlled. The type of control he has seen before. The type of control he himself has experienced before when Adam activated that chip that was attached to his nervous system. Riley has to admit that he has seriously underestimated the depths to which Lex Luthor is willing to sink.

Lex is looking over his team with some pride. It had taken teams of doctors months to mould the minds of the people in front of him. Using drugs and certain, not entirely legal and experimental, psychological methods they were now programmed to obey his commands. As well as the mental conditioning he had ensured they had undergone a rigorous training regime. In particular they had been trained in techniques to neutralise Green Arrow and his little band.

"Who are these people?" Riley has to ask.

"My secret weapon Major Finn. Let me introduce you to them." Lex steps up to the the first in the line; a girl with albino white skin and blue hair. "Livewire," he introduces her as. In response she raises her right hand in the air and electricity arcs between her fingers. They move onto the next one, a young man. "Neutron," Lex introduces him as. Like Livewire he raises his hand and inside forms a ball of radiant energy from which Riley can feel the intense heat of. Neutron then slings it to the side into a cardboard cut out of a person used for target practice. The target explodes into a million tiny pieces.

Lex moves on to the next woman with red hair and blue eyes. "Plastique," he introduces her as. In return she greets Riley with a "Bonjour" in what he reckons is a French-Canadian accent. Lex, meanwhile, scrutinises her intently. They are only suppose to speak when commanded to. Plastique needs more conditioning it seems which will have to wait until the present crisis is over. "Show Major Finn what it is you can do," Lex commands Plastique.

Riley watches on as she turns her head, raises her hand and another target is blown to pieces by some form of projected force blast he guesses.

Onward they go to the next young man. "Shadow," Lex introduces him as. In response the man's form dissolves into some sort of...shadow creature and flies across the room destroying varying hanging in mid-air targets before returning to his place in the line-up and resuming his human form.

"And lastly," Lex says as he moves onto the last in the line-up. "Parasite and his power...well his power is the ability to make anyone else's power his. Hence the name."

Lex steps back. "What do you think Major Finn?"

Riley has no idea what to say. He barely knows what to think beyond that Lex has been training his own little super-powered army without anyone's knowledge it seems. If Riley's superiors back in Washington knew they would be extremely displeased with Lex and that is an understatement. Down right furious is probably the more accurate term to describe their reaction.

The sound of an explosion going off saves Riley from having to conjugate a reply as Lex quickly orders the 5 to follow him. Riley follows too back into the lab where Metallo is. The doctors have now installed the glowing green rock into his chest.

"Well Doctor?" Lex inquires.

The Doctor turns to face Lex. "All initial tests show that the mechanical systems are fully powered," the doctor reports.

"Excellent. Activate him," Lex orders.

The doctor scurries off to a computer on a table to the side and inputs a few commands. "Voice activations system are now functional," he reports.

Lex nods. "Metallo. Sit up," he commands and in response the figure on the table sits up.

"Come here," is Lex's next commands.

The cyborg swings its legs round and gets off the table, standing to its full height before clumsily stepping towards Lex. Lex turns his head to look at the doctor, clearly unhappy at the jerky movements.

The doctor runs his hand through his hair in an obvious gesture of nervousness. "I'm sorry Mr Luthor," he apologises. "But this is why we normally run tests. To determine any glitches."

"I don't want excuses doctor. I want results. Now!"

The doctor furiously starts typing on the keyboard trying to see if the glitch can be fixed with a simple adjusting of programming. As he does so Metallo's movements do become smoother but still inhumanly stiff.

"That is the best I can do," the doctor tells Lex sounding slightly fearful that is won't be good enough but as gunfire sounds very close to the door in here the doctor gets spared Lex's wrath.

Lex supposes that a less than 100% cyborg will have to do. "Metallo," he addresses it.

John looks at the bald man because he must. Whatever it is, there is something inside him making him obey. What have they done to him and more importantly how can he make them pay. Because that is what he is going to do. John remembers enough to know that these people have taken everything from him and as soon as he figures out how to break this control they have over him he is going to make each and every one of them pay.

"Metallo," Lex says again. "You are to lead this team against my enemies and destroy them. Do you understand?"

Metallo responds with a part-mechanical part-human voice. "Yes."

All eyes attention turn upward as the main door is blown inward.

Show time!

* * *

_Author's Note: I made Lex's group of super-villains a sort of mix of ones from Smallville and the comics. Hence Parasite is not purple skinned like the version in season 8 of Smallville. Same goes for Neutron. I returned Livewire and Plastique to their comic appearances. I borrowed Shadow from the season 8 episode Prey. This version of Metallo is something like a mixture of Adam from BTVS and the one from Smallville season 9 instead of the purely mechanical comic version. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. __Next up 'Injustice for all!'_


	56. Part 4 Chapter 10: Injustice for all!

Chapter 10: Injustice for all!

The mission so far is going textbook Green Arrow would be willing to admit as they all gather outside the entrance to the secret part of the facility. They all being himself, Black Canary, Impulse, Aquaman, Magician, Cyborg, Blur, Buffy, Faith, Willow, Giles and Xander.

They had all entered at different points and had neutralised the security as they made their way to this rendezvous point. They had, of course, not permanently harmed the security personnel. Just incapacitated them.

"So shall we knock?" Bart asks.

Oliver smiles a little bit devilishly as he pulls out a small explosive device and attaches it to the door. "Yes we shall."

They all moves back to a safe distance as Oliver pulls out the trigger. "Lets see whose home shall we?" He presses the button and goodbye door.

Show Time!

They all stream through the door onto the walkway and look down. Clark almost visibly pales when he spots the man-machine with the glowing green rock in his chest.

"Is that...?" Buffy asks at a whisper.

"Kryptonite," Clark whispers back.

Down below Lex steps forward. "Welcome Green Arrow. We've been expecting you." Lex looks at the non-Justice members. "And I see you've brought some friends with you. How touching," Lex says insincerely. He snaps his fingers and a couple of dozen more security personnel appear seemingly from nowhere.

Oliver just has to wonder how people like Lex always seem to have these endless little private armies. Oh well they might as well get to the clichéd battle sequence. "Blur," he says addressing Clark.

"I know. I know. Stay away from the kryptonite," Clark says acknowledging his weakness.

"Cyborg. Take on the...cyborg," Oliver decides while making a mental note how weird that sounded as he said it. It also made the most sense especially since Clark could obviously not get near it which totally ruins their original plan.

"Plastique," Lex commands and the red-headed woman raises her hand and with a blast of concussive force rips the platform the heroes are standing on apart. They plummet to the floor below, some landing better than others. Clark only slows his descent slightly as he grabs Buffy and lowers them to the floor.

"I've got to get to Riley. See if he knows about the girls," Buffy says to Clark in reference to the slayers.

Clark look up at the forces between them and who he assumes Buffy is referring to. "We'll clear you a path," he promises her while sharing a look with Oliver who nods in agreement.

A whizzing sound hits Clark's ears and a ball of coloured energy flies right towards him and Buffy. He shoves Buffy to the side and the ball hits him square in the chest. He flies back into the wall behind him denting the metal before landing on his feet in a crouch. Clark looks up to see one of the 5 young people in black uniforms with his hand still in the position from which you can tell he was the one that threw it. Clark stands up straight, unharmed but distinctly annoyed.

Lex's eyes narrow at the man in black. This is the one he is most interested in. He has the symbol on his chest. He must be the alien. He is also completely unharmed from a blast from Neutron that would have near vaporised a normal person. He also looks familiar but Lex can't quite place him.

That attack is the starting pistol as the two forces clash. Buffy rushes to Clark's side. "You alright?"

Clark nods. "Yeah I'm fine." He assesses the situation as the chaos of battle consumes the area. "Stick close to me and I'll get you to Riley," he tells Buffy.

With that the two of them start by fighting their way through Lex's security personnel, trying their best not to hurt any of them too badly. They soon come up against the red head.

"Going somewhere?" Plastique asks with her distinctive accent before she raises her hand at Clark and releases her power which bounces off Clark's invulnerable aura right back at her, sending her flying across the room.

"That was kind of anti-climatic," Buffy has to say which causes Clark to roll his eyes. What was she expecting exactly. Honestly times like these he is certain he is never going to understand Buffy. His musings are cut short as some foolish person jumps on his back trying to take him down.

Elsewhere in the melee Faith has to say she is having a ball as she knocks a guy down with a roundhouse kick. She feels a hand then grab her by the shoulder and out of instinct grabs it and throws the owner of the hand over her shoulder. She can see it is one of the 5 in the uniforms. She lifts him slightly off the floor by his shirt. "What exactly as it you were expecting to do there?" she just has to ask the guy who very curiously smirks at her.

He then grabs her arm and shouts "This!"

Excruciating pain shoots through Faith and to an outside observer it looks like a purple ghostly image of Faith leaves her body and shoots inside the guy on the floor. As Faith collapses to the floor Parasite flips himself back to his feet. "Man what a rush!" he says as he enjoys the feeling of Faith's power flow through his body.

At this moment Shadow's incorporeal form is hit by an arrow that explodes with a burning light knocking him back into his human form and landing next to Parasite. He picks himself up and looks down at the brunette lying on the floor. "You ready to fight now?" Shadow asks his life-energy stealing team-mate.

Parasite smirks a slightly different smirk to before. One that normally appears on Faith's face. "Oh I'm Five by Five."

Unaware of Faith's fate and with one last kick Buffy knocks out the last remaining guy between her and Riley. In the chaos Riley had somehow ended up right at the other side of what is not an insubstantial room. Her first question is "Where are the girls?"

Riley takes a moment to eye the guy in black standing next to Buffy before he answers. "Don't know. Lex wouldn't allow me into this part of the facility."

Buffy frowns unhappy before turning to Clark. "Clark. Can you find them?"

An almost electric like blue flashes across Clark's eyes for a moment before he shakes his head. "It is all lined with lead," he has to inform Buffy which means his eyes aren't finding the slayers.

"Guess we do it the hard way then," Buffy decides. She turns to Riley once more. "Any idea where to look?"

Riley thinks quickly. When Lex led him to that training room there were a couple of junctions off the corridor but they were blocked with these huge blast doors and Riley doubts he has the access codes to open them. He explains this to Buffy.

"Not a problem," she says back and looks at Clark who instantly gets what he needs to do.

Clark touches the communicator in his ear and explains what he is about to do to Oliver. That done the 3 make their way over to the door led by Riley and enter the corridor leaving their friends still battling it out behind them.

The 3 make their way to the first blast door where Clark bends down, grabs it by its bottom edge and lifts it up easily before welding it in place with his heat vision. He does the same to the other blast door as well.

"Um thanks," Riley says a bit reluctantly.

Buffy then slaps her head with her hand. "God what was I thinking. I haven't introduced you guys. Riley this is Clark. Clark, Riley."

The two men exchange less than friendly looks. Buffy rolls her eyes at the display. "Is this some sort of alpha male thing because really if that is the case I should point out 2 things. One," she points at Riley, "you are married and two," she points at Clark, "you are suppose to be above such things." She then throws her arms in the air. "And when the hell did I turn into the mature one?" she asks. Both Clark and Riley open their mouths before she points and glares at them. "Not. A. Word," she warns them and Clark and Riley snap their mouths shut.

The whole facility then shakes. The sound of an explosion echoes in all their ears. A wall of fire hurtles along the corridor at them from the direction of the lab where they left the others fighting.

Clark spins round in an instant as the fire, from his perspective, slowly advances toward them. He draws in a deep breath before exhaling with a blast of his superbreath. The fire succumbs to his greater power as it dissipates before it reaches them. Of course it is incapable of hurting Clark. He was just making sure Buffy ad Riley weren't hurt. He turns his head to look at them and asks "You alright?" just to make sure.

Buffy coughs from the smoke that is now present in the air. "Yeah. We're just fine and dandy."

"I have to..." he says indicating he needs to get back there and see what has happened to the others.

Buffy waves him off. "Go. Go. Riley and I will take it from here."

Clark then blurs off along the corridor. Buffy can't help but smile at little. That is still so...cool. She turns to find Riley looking at her with an odd expression. "What?" she asks him.

"Buffy what in the hell is he?" Riley asks bluntly because seriously...he **blew** out a fire.

"A friend," Buffy says back just as bluntly.

"Why are you protecting him?" he demands to know.

"Why are you so interested?" she asks back.

"You know why."

"I do?...oh wait a second is this your army job where you consider everyone in terms of the threat they pose?"

Riley nods.

"I see," Buffy says curtly. She then draws her fist back and hits Riley right in the jaw. Riley's head snaps round hard as he raises his hand to his now aching jaw. "Jackass!" Buffy tells him.

"What the hell Buffy?"

"I will say this once so damn well listen Riley. I like you. I respect you. I appreciate everything you have done helping us but Clark is off limits. You threaten him...ever and I will kick your ass in a way you can't even begin to imagine and before you even mention 'what happens if he turns against us' be rest assured should it ever come to that I will stop him. Oh and one more thing despite how powerful Clark might appear I guarantee I am much more dangerous than he is. Remember that as you try and fail to imagine what I can do to you."

Despite the renew possibility of having his jaw broken Riley has to ask "Why Buffy? Why is he so damn important to you?"

"He is important to the world and I will do whatever it takes to protect him."

"He doesn't need protecting from what I see," Riley remarks.

"You're wrong. He does...just not in the way you are thinking about." Buffy takes a breath and pushes her slightly mussed hair back. "Now if you are done with pointless interrogations can we please go and save the girls." Buffy doesn't actually wait for Riley to say anything back and she takes off down the corridor to find the missing slayers.

Riley follows her, his jaw still stinging, wondering how Clark managed to get so far under Buffy's skin and into her heart when he failed miserably at it because while he might not be the greatest expert on the subject even he can tell her passionate defence comes from the fact she loves Clark. It is at least the only explanation he can think of.

* * *

'Damn lead,' Clark thinks to himself as he rushes back along the corridor. All the lead lining meant he had no idea what had happened, what caused the explosion or if his friends are hurt...or worse. He reaches the doorway and while the door has been blasted off debris now blocks the way in. Not wanting to just burst through it and sending debris flying in every direction which could hit someone for all he knows Clark stops and still at superspeed moves the debris by hand.

Once done he steps through to the scene he was fearing. The whole place is wrecked and what is more most of the floor is missing and there is now a long drop down into some sort of cave. Clark never noticed that before when he was scanning the place. He has to wonder why and why it gives him an ominous feeling that he is completely missing something here.

The sound of coughing gets his attention and Clark zips over to find Faith pinned under some metal roof supports. Clark easily lifts them aside before bending down to check on her. She has a few cuts but she is otherwise unharmed. "How are you feeling?" he asks her.

Faith coughs a few more times before answering "Lousy." She sits up with Clark supporting her back. Faith puts her hand to her pounding head. "Ugh what the hell did that guy do to me?" she asks.

"I don't know. I was helping Buffy," he tries to explain as he missed whatever happened to Faith.

"Feels like he almost killed me," she says as she gets to her feet, wobbles and almost falls over. God she feels so weak. She can't remember ever feeling this weak. Not since before she became a slayer.

Clark listens and finds no other sounds, no heartbeats, no nothing beyond the burning fires around them. "What happened here?" he asks Faith.

Faith's face scrunches up as she tries to remember. She was just coming around when it happened. "Willow was fighting that guy who could throw those energy ball things. She deflected one into some sort of tank and then BOOM!" she tells Clark. Faith looks around "Where are they?"

Clark's eyes drift to the deep black hole as that can be the only place they could have gone. Faith makes her way to the edge and looks down into the blackness. "There are many words I could use to describe this situation and none of them get a PG rating," she says with as much humour as she can muster.

Clark strides forward and wraps his arm around her waist. "Hold on," he tells her as he picks Faith up and steps over the edge.

As they float down into the darkness Faith has to say that she would describe this situation, flying with Clark, as wicked cool or is that too teenage-y. She then frowns. Teenage-y? God she has been hanging around Buffy too long if she is adding Ys to the end of words. Faith then senses that Clark has stopped his descent. "What?" she asks as she looks down although she can't see much.

Clark describes what he sees. "There are several what I would call ancient volcanic vents. Think of closely packed together tubes."

Faith visualises it. "There is no telling which one any of them fell down right?"

"Right," Clark confirms.

"I don't mean to be pessimistic here but could any of them actually survive this?" Faith feels she should ask in relation to the fall.

"Feel that wind," Clark asks her in reference to the strong breeze blowing up at them.

"Yeah," Faith answers as the wind blows her hair about.

"If it is stronger further down then it could have slowed their descent enough to make the impact survivable."

"You know that or are you guessing?"

"I'm guessing. There is something wrong about all this."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I can't hear or see anyone and I should be able to. Something is interfering with my powers and due to the lack of any noticeable technology down here or the fact I'm not dying of kryptonite poisoning I'm leaning towards magic being the cause." Process of elimination. If there is no advanced technology or kryptonite that leaves magic as the only thing Clark knows of capable of messing up his powers. "Also from the geological maps we studied before we came here there should not be any sort of caves down here."

Faith groans. She has an ominous feeling about this. "We are getting played again aren't we."

"I'm not rushing to that conclusion just yet."

Faith blows out a breath. "So what now? Just walk into another possible trap?"

"Our friends are in danger," Clark points out.

"Yeah. That's what I thought. I hate being one of the good guys," Faith complains. When she was bad she couldn't have cared less and she certainly wouldn't be doing this.

Clark has to smile. "It has its moments. So which vent shall we take?"

"Just pick one. They are all probably lethal death traps."

"You know you really need to be more optimistic about things," Clark advises.

"You wouldn't have been saying that a couple of months back," Faith argues.

"Probably not but as the saying goes 'When life gives you lemons make lemonade.'"

"I prefer my saying."

"Which is?"

"When life gives you a hot guy screw him senseless."

Clark's cheeks turn red which he hopes Faith doesn't notice in the dark. He quickly picks a tube and starts to float down. As he does so the wind does pick up in strength which Clark hopes means that maybe his friends survived the fall. They just have to hold on.

* * *

Oliver opens his eyes and blinks a few times as he tries to adjust for the darkness. He finds himself propped up against a wall. He tries to move which he soon finds is a really really big mistake as pain surges through what feels like his entire body. He lets out an anguished cry.

"Ollie!"

Out of the darkness a blond angel runs towards him. Then the moment of delirium passes and he realises it is Dinah. She is soon kneeling next to him stroking his hair back. "Dinah. What happened?" he asks her as his memory seems rather vague on the issue.

Dinah shakes her head. "I'm not really sure. We were fighting that living shadow guy, there was an explosion and then the floor gave way."

It comes back to Oliver. "We were falling and I grabbed you."

"And used your body to shield me when he hit the ground which by the way was a really dumb move."

Oliver manages a painful chuckle. "Yeah I had to choose now to decide to be chivalrous."

"You never give yourself enough credit," Dinah says softly, her voice full of emotion.

Oliver can see the stark pain clear in Dinah's eyes which begs a question. "How is it light enough down here to see anything?"

"Well you can only see a few feet ahead of you," she points out. "And as for how I don't know. I think several laws of physics are being violated."

"Oh well that is something I guess." Oliver manages to reach up and cup Dinah's cheek. "At least I get to see you."

Dinah places her hand on top of Ollie's. God she wishes he would feel the same way about her she feels about him.

"Aw isn't this a touching scene!" a voice echoes in the darkness. The voice of the shadow guy.

Dinah shoots to her feet.

"I can see you! Can you see me?" the voice echoes. Laughter then echoes around them. "One of the advantages of being a living shadow. The ability to see in the dark."

Dinah peers into the dark until a shadow suddenly moves. She doesn't have time to react before it knock her down cutting her cheek in the process. Laughter echoes again as Dinah gets back to her feet.

Oliver grits his teeth at the pain as he tries to get up but his body just won't respond which means Dinah is left all on her own and he can't help her. The mere thought that she might die...that pains him more than anything he is suffering right now. He briefly wonders how that is.

"_Because you love her you dope!" _a voice goes off in his head.

Oliver stills for a second.

He loves Dinah?

He loves Dinah.

He loves Dinah!

What about Lois?

And why the hell is he thinking stuff like this when their lives are in mortal danger?

He looks up at Dinah tensed up ready to strike at something they can't see. Oh yeah. They are in big trouble.

"Oh this is going to be fun!" the voice proclaims in happiness. "Say goodbye to each other my little love-birds because while I can't promise your deaths will be swift I can promise they will be permanent."

Yep. They are definitely in big trouble.

* * *

"Will?"

Willow's eyes flutter open to find Xander standing over her looking deeply concerned. "Xander?"

"Yeah. It's me and I know what you are thinking. Of all the people in the world you could be stuck in a dark cave with why did it have to be me."

Willow manages a smile as Xander helps her get to her feet. "Xander. You know perfectly well that there is no-one I would rather be with in the whole world...apart from Chloe," she amends at the end.

"I rank below the blond pixie?" Xander says trying to sound insulted and failing miserably.

"Hey don't call my girlfriend a pixie," Willow tells him off. She brushes dust off her dress before looking around. "There is magic in the air," she tells Xander from what she is able to sense. "Ancient magic from long ago."

"Well that's encouraging," Xander says sarcastically.

Willow's brow knits together as she concentrates on what her senses are telling her. "I think something else may be at play here. Something that used Lex to get us here."

"How do you know that?" Xander asks her.

"A hunch," Willow tells him. She then stiffens. "We're not alone."

Before any of them can react a hand reaches out of the darkness and grabs Willow by the shoulder. Then in a repeat of what happened to Faith a ghostly purple image rips out of Willow's body before zooming into the owner of said hand. The whole area lights up and sparks and arcs of lightning fly through the air knocking Xander over as Willow crumples to the ground.

Xander pushes himself back to his feet to the sound of giddy laughter. A light then fills the cave to reveal Parasite has generated it from a ball of light formed in his hand.

"Man oh man," Parasite says gleefully. "I thought I knew power but your little friend there...whew...now that is power."

Xander braces himself as Parasite takes a step forward.

"Now what are you going to do about it...Alexander?"

Xander narrows his eyes. "How did you..."

"How did I know your name? Easy really. When I take their powers I can hear their thoughts," Parasite says pointing at his head. "Mostly only their surface ones but occasionally other ones too." Parasite smirks and Xander knows that smirk. It usually adorns a certain brunette slayer. "Want to guess what I got from Faith's mind about you."

"Ok I just have to say ew! You are getting off on those memories! What's the matter? You're monthly instalment of Perverts R Us was never delivered or something."

Parasite laughs. "I can see Faith and Willow's memories of you are right. You are funny. Lets hope you can keep me entertained because I'm going to put an end to this the second I say 'Bored Now!'" Parasite says with a creepy impression of Evil Willow. He then raises his hand and Xander finds himself being thrown into the cave wall with Parasite's laughter ringing in his ears.

* * *

Bart finds himself being nudged awake and opens his eyes to find both Victor and AC standing over him. He accepts the offered hand and gets to his feet rubbing his head. "Where are we?" he has to ask.

"That is a very good question," AC reluctantly admits where Bart is concerned.

Bart looks around and sees nothing but darkness before he turns his attentions back to Victor. "What happened to your playmate?" he asks in reference to Lex's cyborg.

Victor shakes his head. "When I woke up he wasn't here with us."

"Well that's good," Bart comments.

"But we are here."

All 3 heroes turn. The darkness mysteriously recedes to reveal Livewire, Plastique and Neutron.

"And that is not so good," Bart now comments.

"Time to die heroes!" Neutron says darkly as he throws one of his energy balls at them which misses as they all dodge out of the way.

As that fight starts it is being watched along with all the others on what you could call magic CCTV in what are portals floating in mid-air. Tied to chairs watching it are Giles and Lex both struggling to get free. They had found themselves like this upon waking after the fall into the darkness.

"Oh take it easy Ripper or you'll miss the show," an all too familiar British accent tells Giles.

"Ethan," Giles says with his almost complete distain for his once upon a time friend.

Ethan Rayne walks up to his old friend and places an arm across Giles' shoulders. "Ah Ripper. Remember the times when you use to love a good brawl like this."

"I don't mean to interrupt," Lex says interrupting, "but you can't do this to me!" he protests.

"Oh but I can rich boy," Ethan says disrespectfully. "Haven't you figured it out yet that you were being used simply to create something capable of killing your little alien."

Lex seethes at Ethan's words. No-one uses Lex Luthor.

"Why are you doing this?" Giles asks Ethan jumping to the obvious conclusion that Ethan is responsible for this.

"Well I must admit that I am simply a tool for a greater power. One who must act through others." Ethan then turns his gaze into the darkness. Giles' eyes follow as a figure steps forward into view. A figure in the form of his one upon a time love Jenny Calendar.

"Hello Rupert," the faux-Jenny greets him.

Giles does his level best to keep his anger in check. "You are not her. Don't even try to pretend to be her."

"Oh very well how about this form." Jenny then morphs into a middle-aged man with a beard.

"Dad?" Lex almost whispers from next to Giles at what he is seeing.

"Hello son!" the faux-Lionel greets him. "Haven't seen you since...oh when was it...oh that's right. Since you murdered me."

"You're not my father," Lex quickly discerns.

"No it's not," Giles confirms.

Faux-Lionel smirks. "Then who I am Mr Giles?"

Giles glares at it. "What is this about?" he asks it. It. The entity known as the First Evil.

The First/Lionel walks around the two captives in a circle. "Like I said when last we saw each other; just because you didn't see me didn't mean I wasn't around. I've been busy busy as you can see," it says gesturing at the ensuing battles. "And we haven't even gotten to the two big ones yet." In another portal Giles watches Riley and Buffy making their way along a corridor while in another he sees Clark and Faith floating down into a dark cave lit by an eerie green glow.

Putting Buffy aside for a moment Giles focusses on Clark first. "The question is why," Giles puts forward. "You were not interested in killing him before. You were trying to convert him to your side."

"Very very true but who said anything about killing him. I just want certain other people to think he is about to die."

It clicks in Giles mind what the First is up to. "Where you step in and make them an offer in exchange for the power to save him."

"You always were a lot brighter than you let on Rupert."

"Who is it?" Giles asks wanting to know who it is the First is targeting this time.

The First/Lionel places a finger to its lips. "Shh. That's a secret."

"What about all the others?" Giles asks wondering what the point of their little battles that continue to play out in front of him.

The First/Lionel smirks. "Take away Kal-El's human touchstones and you'll soon discover that he will be much more malleable to my way of thinking."

"You just expect them to die," Giles concludes with disgust.

"You betcha! Today heroes will fall. Villains will rise and we will have injustice reign supreme. Injustice for all!"

"Who is this Kal-El?" Lex demands to know ignoring this almost over the top pantomime theatrics and wishing to get to know what he wants...no he needs to know.

The First/Lionel smirks. "Secrets son. You must know better than most all about secrets. However if you wish you can consider this a test. Show us all how clever you are and work it out."

Lex glares at whatever it is that has taken on his father's form. Ok fine. It wants him to work it out he will.

Ethan coughs to get everyone's attention. "She's nearing the cells," he says pointing at a portal which is showing Buffy and Riley.

"So I am," the First says after it suddenly shifts its form into Buffy. "Watch this Giles. This is the part where you learn how I manipulated baldilocks there," she says insulting Lex.

Lex listened on in silence simply letting the insult slide off of him. He will make them pay for this. Whoever and whatever they are. No-one uses Lex Luthor. No-one humiliates Lex Luthor. They will pay.

* * *

Buffy and Riley continue their search for the slayers despite part of Buffy wanting to know if Clark is alright. God she can't wait until this is over and they can stop being stupid and be a couple again but that is for later. Right now her focus is on finding the girls. So far their search had turned up an office and some sort of storage room full of artefacts which she will have to remember to tell Giles about just in case some of them are mystical.

She and Riley come across another door. Buffy tries to open it. Locked. No problem for her as she takes a step back and kicks it hard. The door flies open to reveal a whole row of cells with teenage girls in them. Finally!

As Buffy walks forward something instantly strikes her as wrong. All the girls are lying on the floor of their cells and Buffy has an horrible hunch that they aren't sleeping. She jumps right through one of the transparent cell fronts smashing through it. She goes to the girl lying on the floor and tries to find a pulse.

"Is she...?" Riley asks.

"She's dead." Buffy bows her head as she takes a moment. A moment in which she hears thud, a grunt from Riley and a second thud as his body hits the floor. She stands back up straight and turns round to find Riley's attacker standing there grinning with this nonchalant look.

"What's the matter Buffy? You look like you've seen a ghost?" the French-accented voice teases.

Buffy glares at the figure standing there. A figure she hasn't seen since she and Clark were in Paris. The figure who betrayed them to Drusilla in an attempt to kill her and lure Clark into bed. A figure who was stripped of her powers and sent on her way. It all suddenly falls into place how Lex found out about them. She has betrayed them...again. Buffy growls out her name. "Camille."

"Buffy," Camille says back.

"You told Lex about us," Buffy states.

"Yep," Camille more than willingly admits.

"Why?"

Camille laughs. "Why? You want to know why. Why do you think? Revenge."

"You betrayed us to a vampire Camille and for what? So you could get your leg over with my fiancé. What did you expect to happen?"

"You are such a hypocrite Buffy," Camille accuses. "Willow murdered somebody and what did you do about that? Faith murdered somebody and what did you do about that? I didn't kill anyone and yet my powers are stripped and I'm banished. Somehow I'm missing the consistency in how you apply your standards here. Oh wait of course the difference is that Willow is your friend so therefore it doesn't matter how horrendous her crimes are you would forgive her. God knows why you let Faith off the hook. I'm guessing she let you get your leg over her," Camille says nastily.

"Things change Camille. Circumstances change. When there are hundreds of us there has to be rules otherwise what stops us from doing anything we want." If you really think about it what hundreds of slayers could do if they were all set on the same purpose is unimaginable destruction.

"Notice you didn't actually contradict me there Buffy. I'm right aren't I and there is a small piece of you that agrees with me. A small piece of you that thinks you are a hypocrite."

"The past is the past Camille. I can't change it. All I can do is make what I think are the right decisions at the time."

"Riiiigggghhht," Camille says drawing out the word to an unnecessarily long length. "Well now that we have gotten that out of the way how about we get to the part where I kill you like I killed all of them," she boasts callously as she admits her actions.

Anger boils up inside of Buffy. "Why Camille?"

"Why? Why did I kill them? Because there is only suppose to be one. One Girl in all the world. The Chosen One and that one is going to be me. I told Lex all about slayers for two reasons. One; he has the resources to hunt you down and to create something capable of killing you." Camille laughs. "God what a patsy that Lex is. He thinks everything I told him was all to boost his own ego and power when it was all about getting what I wanted. He isn't half as clever as he thinks he is."

"And two?" Buffy asks not interested or caring all that much about whether Camille used Lex.

Camille smiles. "Two. Two is that Lex could retrieve a certain ancient artefact a little birdy told me about."

"What artefact?" Buffy asks wondering if it was one of those in that room she passed earlier.

"One that allows me to do this!" Then with swiftness Buffy did not expect Camille moves forward and slams her fist into Buffy's jaw rattling her bones as she slams into the back wall of the cell.

"You're asking yourself how," Camille says as she pauses in her attack. "Lex managed to bring into his possession a certain box which I think you might be familiar with. One that contains the source of all that you hold so dear." Camille leans forward a bit. "Look at me Buffy. Really look at me."

Buffy gets back to her feet never letting her gaze shift off Camille. It is then she senses it...senses the connection that shouldn't be there between herself and Camille. It is then she realises what box Camille means. Buffy had no idea that that box was still around. The box that contains the demon essence that was poured into the first slayer.

Camille smiles as he can see form Buffy's expression that she has gotten it. "That's right Buffy. We're sisters again!" Camille proclaims happily meaning sister slayers. "Lex had no real idea what it was he was getting and as soon as the chance presented itself I opened the box." Camille looks at her watch. "That was about 20 minutes ago when you set off the alarms. Thanks for providing the distraction that kept Lex busy," she says enjoying pointing out that Buffy's actions allowed her to do it.

Camille runs her hands over her body and lets out a pleasurable moan. "I can't tell you how good it felt to have all that power flow into me. How good it feels to be strong again." Her face and tone then darken. "Strong enough to get my revenge for the injustice that was inflicted upon me by all of you," she says in anger at what was done to her. They will all pay for what they did. Every. Single. One. Of. Them. Not a single of them had defended her back in Paris. Therefore not a single one of them deserved any mercy. Camille will kill Buffy. In time she will kill all the others. Then she will be the Chosen One like Camille has come to realise since Paris that she should have been all along.

"Now it is time to be an only child," she tells Buffy, the menace in her voice clear as crystal. Then with a cry of pure hate and rage Camille launches herself at Buffy and the fight between the two slayers begins.

* * *

Unbeknown to Clark and Faith all that is going on, they land at the bottom of the vent in a dark chamber. Dark apart from an eerie green glow that is. Nausea and weakness suddenly assault Clark as stepping out of the darkness comes Metallo. He doesn't understand why he didn't sense it long before they reached the bottom...unless that is what someone wanted.

Metallo steps forward. Faith moves to stop it. She leaps at it landing a kick square on its chest which does nothing except send a shooting pain up her leg as she crashes to the ground. Metallo bends down, picks her up and throws her across the chamber slamming into the wall.

Faith groans at just how much that hurt. It hurt way more than it should have. She glances up just in time to see Metallo deliver an earth shaking uppercut on Clark sending him clean into the air before he crashes into the chamber wall a good twenty feet up and then he slides down to the floor not too far away from her.

Clark was right earlier. Something is majorly wrong here. Faith reaches for a small stone which normally she should be able to crush. She tries to do so and all she gets for trying is the stone's sharp edges cutting into her hand. "Fuck," she lets out the expletive as she reaches only one conclusion. Her powers are gone and with Clark weakened by the kryptonite in the cyborg's chest she has to say that they are in serious shit.

Back with the First Giles watches on as Buffy and Camille viciously fight each other up and as Metallo stalks Clark and Faith. Giles has faith in Buffy's ability to prevail.

Wait a second...faith.

Faith.

Faith is the one with Clark.

"It's Faith," Giles realises. "You are trying to get Faith."

"Always attack the weakest link Rupert," the First/Lionel says. "And Faith is a very weak link. Personally I'm surprised you haven't dealt with her yet in the way you dealt with old Glory's human vessel."

The First is referring to Ben who Giles killed to make sure Glory would die. Buffy wouldn't kill him because she was a hero but Giles knew that sooner or later Glory would make Buffy pay for that moment of mercy so he chose to perform the unpleasant act.

As Metallo continues to pound on Clark the First can sense the desperate urge growing in Faith wanting to do something but can't since her powers are gone. Meanwhile Camille's blind hatred, rage and thirst for vengeance is intoxicating. The First can feel it all surging through Camille's being. It also made her incredibly easy to manipulate. Camille doesn't even realise it that the First had been whispering in her ear telling her to seek Lex out, getting her to exactly where the First wanted and through Camille the First got Lex to build his little cyborg which brings us back to the present situation.

It is beautiful in its way how the pieces all fall into place. How the First from behind the scenes has manoeuvred them all to where it wants them In celebration the First takes on a new shape. Technically one of a fictional character but since the actor is dead it can assume the form. The figure of John 'Hannibal' Smith stands there, cigar in mouth and speaks the immortal line. "I love it when a plan comes together."

* * *

_Author's Note: That last little bit...what can I say? I am a big A-Team fan. Can't wait for the movie. In case you have forgotten her Camille was in the last part during the Paris story arc which ended up with her slayer powers being stripped from her. Time for her revenge. Even Lex Luthor gets used when the First is in play and everything becomes much much worse. Sorry it has been awhile since my last update. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up: Tempting Offers._


	57. Part 4 Chapter 11: Tempting Offers

Chapter 11: Tempting Offers

Kryptonite. It has to be his curse for wrong doings in another life or something. All his life Clark has to endure the sickness, the weakness, the indescribable pain that comes from being to exposed to it.

Or maybe this simply the price he must pay. After all all power comes with a price.

Clark shakes his head to clear the cobwebs as Metallo stalks him for lack of a better term. So far this fight has not been going all that well. Not surprising when the kryptonite makes it difficult for Clark to even stand.

From his crouched position he sees the fist coming at him. Summoning whatever strength he has left Clark manages to catch it. Then with all the speed he can muster slams his other fist into Metallo's jaw in an earth shaking uppercut that sends the cyborg spiralling into the cavern wall like it had done to him earlier.

Clark catches his breath as he watches the cyborg lie there on the cavern floor unmoving. 'No way in hell am I that lucky to have stopped it with a single punch,' Clark thinks to himself.

It is subtle at fist. A twitch of the fingers. The arm moves as Metallo pushes itself back to its feet. It turns and gazes at Clark for a few seconds before striding inexorably toward him.

Clark sucks in a large breath and blows. Metallo slowly still pushes forward against the force. It doesn't even notice the ice that is starting to form around its body. Clark keeps blowing until Metallo's entire form becomes encased in ice.

That done he has to bend over, hands on knees as he take a moment to re-catch his breath. The kryptonite has drained his strength and there is no sun to recharge him down here. Moment taken Clark makes his way over to Faith who is still flat out on the ground. He bends down, sits her up and checks her over. Her hand is cut and bleeding and from the size of the bump on her head he can guess that that smarts but still he has to ask the question. "You alright?"

"Definitely not," Faith answers. "My powers are gone."

"What?"

"It must have been that guy. Whatever he did...I ain't a slayer anymore."

"We'll find a way to reverse it," Clark promises her.

Faith hopes so. She doesn't know otherwise what she would do with her life. What is she if she is not a slayer? "By the way how did you do that?"

"Do what?"

Faith points at the frozen Metallo. "That."

"Oh you mean my freeze breath," Clark cottons on to what Faith is on about.

Faith shakes her head with a slight smile. "What is up with that? You naming all these powers?"

Clark shrugs. "I have to call them something. How I do it is rather simple really. By changing the shape of my mouth I can alter the temperature at which the breath leaves my body."

"Damn. I bet that makes you a great kisser!"

Clark blushes slightly. "Um I wouldn't know anything about that."

"B certainly never complained," Faith remarks. There is a small silence after that before Faith just has to ask "By the way you two ever goin to make up?"

Clark opens his mouth to answer when a cracking sound fills the cavern. Clark's head whips round to where Metallo is standing as cracks spread along the icy block it is imprisoned in. Clark stands back up straight. "Faith. Stay here," he orders and before she can say anything contradictory he is off to restart his fight with his cybernetic foe. It's never easy.

Faith watches on as Metallo bursts out the ice and Clark and it starts exchanging blows.

"It's not going so well is it?"

Faith turns her head to find Buffy, or rather what looks like Buffy, sitting beside her. "Is this just a social visit?" Faith queries in her best sarcasm.

The First/Buffy manages a smile. "Nope. I'm here to make you a deal."

Faith manages a chuckle at that. "I think the air is way too thin where you have been hanging out."

"Don't you want your powers back? Don't you want to be strong enough to help Clark?" Metallo at this moment clobbers Clark hard. "Ooh that's got to hurt."

"Not at the price you ask I don't."

"You know people put way too high a price on that annoying little soul of theirs. After all it isn't like a soul stops you from being evil. Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot to name but a few. They were born as human as you were yet look at what they did. Wars, genocides, holocausts, summary executions, deaths numbering in the millions."

Faith briefly watches Clark manage to complete a deft throw on Metallo that Buffy must have taught him before asking "Is there a point to this?"

"My point Faith is that accepting a deal from me does not necessarily lead to you becoming a monster or whatever it is you think would happen. Besides restoring your powers is only part of what I am offering. I can give you so much more. Things you really want deep down."

"Like what?"

The First/Buffy turns its head to look at Faith. "How about I show you. Call it a free sample."

Before Faith can say or do anything the First/Buffy pushes its incorporeal hand into Faith's head. The world becomes blurry before darkness consumes her consciousness.

* * *

_As Faith starts to wake up she finds she is somewhere warm and comfy. Feels like a bed actually. She then feels someone next to her shift slightly. Definitely male and from what she can feel definitely well built. A powerful arm then reaches across her stomach and pulls her into a warm embrace. Lips gently caress her neck causing her to shiver. She finds herself rolled onto her back and her male companion moves above her. Faith opens her eyes to find deep cerulean blue ones looking back at her with what she would define as more than mild interest. "And just what do you think you are doing?" she asks him._

_His lips curve upward into a large and what Faith would call a hungry smile. "I was thinking of making love to my wife."_

"_Oh really?"_

"_Hmm, hmm," he says as he lowers his head to kiss her neck once more. "Several times actually."_

_Unsurprisingly Faith has no problem whatsoever with that idea. As they start to share kisses that soon grow in passion and intensity words rip out of Faith "God I love you Clark."_

"_I love you too," he says back._

_Later that morning Faith finds herself making breakfast wearing this enormous grin on her face. Some days she just can't believe her life turned out like this. She is married to the sweetest guy in the world and here she is being all domestic housewife-y. Ok so her cooking skills are limited to pouring milk onto cereal in a bowl but hey no-one's perfect right._

"_Look who finally decided to join the world of the living," her husband announces as he enters the kitchen._

_Faith turns round to find him dressed in t-shirt and sweatpants and in his arms is a small black haired girl with the same coloured eyes as her father rubbing the sleep out of them. "Morning mommy," she says half yawning._

"_Morning my angel," Faith says back with as much love as she possesses as Clark hands over her daughter to her. Totally worth the 10 hours of agonising labour Faith had decided just to experience a fraction of the emotions her daughter allows her to feel._

_Faith actually finds a few tears escape her eyes at the overwhelming happiness she is feeling. This so isn't like her at all but at least she has an excuse she thinks to herself as she takes her other hand and places it on top of the slight bulge in her stomach. She has to wonder just how her life ended up so perfect..._

* * *

Reality shifts back to the cavern as Faith recoils from the vision breathing hard. The First/Buffy smiles at her. "So what do you think? Did you like what you saw? You can have that you know and I know what you don't let anyone else know. That deep down that vision is what you want. Despite this whole tough bad girl attitude of yours, this tendency for 'bad boys'," the First/Buffy uses air quotes. "In reality what you want is a good guy like Clark. Someone who will love you, treat with your respect and not use you like...well lets face it like just about everyone else you have ever known in your life."

Faith has never told anyone that but lately yeah she has been thinking about her life and how she has lived it up to this point. She has always been the 'screw them then leave them' kind of girl but problem with that is that after a while even that can't help hide the hollowness that she feels inside. In that vision the hollowness was gone. Faith can't deny the temptation she is feeling at the deal the First is offering

"So what do you say Faith?" the First/Buffy asks her. "Do we have a deal?"

Faith's gaze shifts back to the continuing fight between Clark and Metallo. A fight which Clark is obviously losing as the kryptonite poisoning spreads through his body. Oh he is giving plenty back make no doubt but it has to only be a matter of time now until...

"Faith," the First/Buffy says to regain Faith's attention. Faith looks at her. "So what is it going to be? Deal or no Deal?"

Faith's brow furrows as she thinks hard but in the end considering the situation they are in there is only one thing she can say.

* * *

Up above in the facility Buffy and Camille are almost tearing the place apart as they fight with no restraints of any sort. Camille may have her slayer powers back but Buffy has been a slayer for close to 9 years now. Not to mention she has spent most of the last year working harder than she has ever worked in her life making her stronger and more skilled than she has ever been.

The two slayers had fought their way out of the largely destroyed cells and back into the large corridor outside. Camille swings a punch. Buffy catches her arm and swings a kick right into Camille's stomach causing the French girl to almost double over. Buffy follows that up with a knee to Camille's face causing her to stagger back.

Camille uses the momentum to allow herself to fall over and then roll herself backward to give her a few feet of space before she pops back to her feet. She does so to find Buffy running at her. Camille allows Buffy to come onto her waiting until the last second to throw a punch but Buffy rolls under that. Camille spins round only to be met with a roundhouse kick to her face which knocks her to the floor.

Buffy looks down on her. "Give it up Camille. You've lost."

Camille spits out some blood onto the metal floor and gives Buffy the severest glare she can manage. This wasn't quite going the way Camille envisioned. Ok sure her ideal fantasy of Buffy on her knees begging for mercy was probably a little beyond reality but the on the knees part after Camille had beaten her down seemed realistic.

Camille gets back to her feet and she can see Buffy let out a little sigh like she is disappointed in Camille or something. Oh that is it. Camille launches herself at Buffy and attacks her with every move she knows but Buffy manages to block almost every one before she starts to counter attack. It only takes a short time before she breaks through Camille's defences and fists and kicks rain down upon her. An uppercut hits her and Camille slams into the metal wall of the corridor and slithers down to the floor breathing hard and in some discomfort. She thinks Buffy broke a rib.

Buffy looks down on Camille with more pity than anything. Sure she is pissed at what Camille has done but right now considering Camille's beaten down state pity is the emotion on top. "Ready to give up now?" Buffy asks her this time.

Camille silently seethes while her mind works on a new plan. An idea strikes her suddenly. She isn't beaten yet. She signals Buffy to come closer like she wishes to says something. Buffy bends down. "Go to hell!" she yells as she grabs Buffy by the arms and pulls her hard ramming Buffy's head into the metal wall. Camille uses Buffy's momentary incapacity to jump to her feet and run off down the corridor.

Buffy shakes her head, silently curses that she was stupid enough to fall for that one and heads off in pursuit of Camille. She catches a glimpse of Camille run into that artefact room. Why would she do that...Oh no!

Buffy enters the room to find Camille about to open a wooden box...the wooden box.

Camille looks up at Buffy and smiles. If her current power can't beat Buffy then she will simply get more power. She starts to slide the top open.

Buffy can't allow this. Camille must be nuts to even think of doing this. Buffy dives at Camille knocking the box out of Camille's hand as the two slayers fall to the floor. Unfortunately this causes the lid to come completely off. A black almost mist like substance rises from it and heads for the two girls. It surrounds them, penetrates them. Buffy can feel the horrid darkness of it which is why she rejected it before when offered more power by the Shadow Men because she knew of what it could turn her into.

It gets difficult to breathe, her vision greys before it goes completely black...

* * *

"_She has returned."_

"_With the betrayer."_

"_Choices must be made."_

"_The offer must be made."_

Buffy already has a splitting headache, she really doesn't need people speaking in her head. Her eyes open and she sits herself up to find herself in an all too familiar cave surrounded by 3 familiar men...Shadow Men to be precise. "Not this again!" she complains as she gets back to her feet. "I so don't need this."

"_You still speak when it is unnecessary," _one of the men say in her head sounding annoyed at Buffy's tendency to babble on endlessly. Good she thinks to herself. She doesn't want to be here anyway. "Why am I here again?" she asks them.

One of the men with a staff uses it to point at the figure on the floor; Camille who is still unconscious. Buffy looks at her briefly. "What about her?"

"_Choices must be made,"_ another voice says or Buffy thinks it is another one. Kind of hard to tell when they are using the telepathy deal-y.

Buffy rubs her head. "What is it with you guys always with the cryptic?"

"_The betrayer opened the box when two were present."_

That is so not clearing it up Buffy thinks getting totally frustrated. "Alright really clear this up or you'll all be getting a repeat of the whoopin' I placed on you last time," she threatens.

"_One girl alone in all the world."_

"_One girl chosen to fight the darkness."_

"Not anymore," Buffy says forcefully. "No longer will we be your pawns dying one by one every generation," she with a hint of anger at how slayers have been used over the centuries.

"_One must stand above the rest."_

"_One must be the stronger."_

"_One must lead. Others must follow."_

"_It is the order of things."_

Some of this was kind of starting to make sense. "Are you saying that one of us must be stronger, must have more power than the other slayers?"

The 3 Shadow Men nod.

"No," Buffy replies bluntly. "That is not how it works anymore."

"_Then the slayer line will end with this generation."_

"Why?"

"_The box is already open. Only the recipient of the power is in doubt." _The man with the staff points at Buffy. "_You." _He points it at Camille. _"Or the betrayer."_

Buffy stares down at Camille. If Camille had that kind of power she would use it to do what she threatened; kill all the others...but wait a second she has an ace in her hole. "We would stop her," Buffy states confidently. "No-one deserves to have a demon essence forced into them. No-one should be turned into a killer like you did with the First Slayer."

"_Your faith in the Star Child is touching if misplaced,"_ one of them says as if reading her mind and sounding completely condescending. This is why Buffy hates them. This is why Buffy hated the Watcher's Council. They were all so...bloody arrogant and thought they were superior simply because unlike her they never got their hands dipped in the blood of the fighting.

"You don't know a damn thing about him," she almost spits out in her fury.

"_We know what you know. That he is not prepared to make the choice that must be made. Commit the acts that must be committed."_

"You're wrong. Just because he isn't a killer like you doesn't mean he can't do what is needed," she says in defence of Clark.

"_And what of Cythonna?"_

"What about her? Clark will beat her. We were in the future where he beat her."

"_You were in **a** future," _she is corrected.

"_Events have been altered and not all that you saw will occur as you believe it will."_

Yep still totally condescending. "What are you getting at? That Camille will kill Clark if I allow her to have the power?"

"_No. Her power will be joined with that of the ice Goddess and you shall lose the battle whose outcome you think is certain."_

"_Nothing is certain any longer. Not even your fate."_

Buffy blinks at that bit. "Wait a second. Are you saying I won't die?"

"_Your death was never certain. You will always have a choice. In the previous chain of events you chose to sacrifice yourself for the Star Child out of your love for him. You could have chosen not to just as easily."_

Buffy snorts. "Right. I'm just going to stand by and let Clark die. Do you know me at all?"

The question is not answered directly. _"Events have been changed. Before you and the Star Child did not separate. Right now you would be having your child."_

Buffy's hands go to her stomach. God they're right. It would be about now that she should have been giving birth if...she tries not to think about what she has lost.

"_Instead you are here facing this choice."_

"_The offer has been made."_

"_Now you must choose."_

"_Either accept the power or reject it knowing it shall go to the betrayer instead."_

Buffy does her best to collect her thoughts. She is here when in the previous time-line she couldn't have possibly been. She is being offered something she couldn't have had before. More power...which is not always a good thing but Cythonna is a god. They will need all the power they can get and really Camille cannot be allowed to have this kind of power. She shouldn't have any kind of power. Buffy needs to ask something first before she makes her choice. "If...IF I chose to take this power can Camille be stripped of hers and I don't mean like we did before but I mean in such a way she can never get it back. Can this be done?"

The 3 Shadow Men look at each other and Buffy thinks are conversing with each other telepathically.

"_She can be removed from the slayer line. Without that well of potential inside her the slayer essence can never be bonded with her again."_

That would be a plus point. Buffy can't deny there is some temptation here with the offer being made. With this power can she avoid all that future where Chloe dies and Clark dies and Willow becomes evil and kills almost everyone. With this power she would be closer to being equal to Clark. Ok sure it isn't like it was a major issue but she knows how much he had to hold himself back even around her

"_What is your choice?"_

But there are down sides to this as well. What would the power turn her into? This is a demon essence after all. What if she can't control it? What if she becomes a killer? A monster? What if she becomes a monster to Clark? What if this destroys what they have only tentatively started to rebuild?

What choice does she make?

"_What is your choice?"_ is asked again and Buffy can tell that this is the last time they will ask it. She must make her decision. She takes a deep breath, opens her mouth and gives them her answer. Now she can only pray she has made the right choice.

* * *

_Author's Note: Now what choices will our two slayers make? Better be the right ones or this story won't be ending well. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up: Heroes on the Rebound._


	58. Part 4 Chapter 12: Heroes on the Rebound

Chapter 12: Heroes on the Rebound

"Missed me! Aww so close! Too slow! Come on! Stop trying to hit me and hit me!" is a collection of the taunts Bart has been throwing at his attacker.

Live Wire growls in annoyance as she throws another bolt of lightning at the boy in red and misses yet again.

Bart leans against the chamber wall and blows on his nails. "Are you done yet?"

Live Wire concentrates hard and summons up her electrical energy.

"Guess you are," Bart remarks flippantly. He then puts his hands together and cracks his knuckles. "My turn!"

Oh he is so right Live Wire thinks to herself. The boy rushes her in a red blur. Live Wire throws an electrical field around her body and when the boy tries to throw a punch he gets a nasty shock.

"Owowowowowowowowow!" Bart says quickly as he shakes his fist out. His reactions are thankfully quick enough that he pulled back before any real damage could be done.

Bart manages a quite stern glare at his chalk-skinned adversary. "Ok fine. I tried to be nice but you are pushing it sister. You want to play it that way then we'll play." Bart runs at top speed around and around Live Wire and a vortex of air quickly forms around her.

Live Wire shoots out her electricity in all directions and manages to hit Bart who flies off before landing in a heap on the ground. She stalks towards him and raises her hand with a ball of charged lightning. Time to end this.

Elsewhere AC found himself up against the red-headed chick and it was such a shame really they were duelling because she was not bad looking. One of her force blasts hits him slamming him into the chamber wall.

Right he really needs to avoid those. He should also try and put an end to this as soon as possible before he dries out. That was always bad. He gets back to his feet. "You sure you we can't talk this out?" he asks Plastique.

Her response is to raise her hand once more. AC rolls out of the way as she blasts a hole into the chamber wall.

"Guess not."

It is then AC notices a small trickle of water flowing from where Plastique blasted the hole. Ah ha. His turn. Using his ability to control water he manipulates the small flow to form a ball of water in his hand. "Two can play at this game sweetheart," he tells Plastique. He then throws the ball straight at her. Plastique raises her hand in time and blasts the ball of water apart.

AC cocks his eyebrow. She was pretty good.

Plastique growls and runs at her foe. AC stands there smirking. She throws a punch and he catches it easily. Plastique looks at him in surprise at the sheer strength of his grip. "Word of advice. You were better off using your powers because..." he then head butts her, "I'm much much stronger than you are."

Plastique stumbles back before her eyes roll backwards in her head and she falls down to the ground in a heap. AC hated to do it but she needed to be put down. He then catches that Bart is in trouble so he creates another ball of water.

"Hey. Lightning Lady!" he calls out. "Catch!"

Live Wire spins round just as a ball of water heads right at her. "NO!" she screams out because as soon as it hits her body which is now always at least partially made up of electrical energy the inevitable happens when water and electricity mix...they don't. The water in essence short-circuits her body. Live Wire screams out in pain before she falls down with steam almost comically rising from her form.

Two done. One to go.

Cyborg is not having an easy time with this Neutron. It seems enhanced strength comes along with the package. Neutron slams a fist into Victor's gut causing him to stumble back. That is all the space and time Neutron needs as he creates one of his energy balls and at this range Cyborg isn't going to survive the impact.

A red blur then flashes in front of him and what feels like a punch hits his face. One advantage of Bart's messed up metabolism is that he recovers fast. AC has by now moved to Victor's side.

"You really might want to give up now," AC advises Neutron.

"Never!" he shouts defiantly and creates two balls, one in each hand.

Bart rolls his eyes. "You know you try to be nice and see what happens. People walk all over ya."

His remarks mean he gets the first shot thrown at him which he dodges easily. "Seriously dude I can run from New York to San Fran in like a couple of seconds. You really think you can hit me?"

That gets the second ball thrown at him.

"Alright enough!" Victor decides once and for all and he moves in and make the choice not to hold back hits Neutron right across his jaw with his cybernetic arm. Neutron flies back several feet before shakily getting back to his feet where he raises his finger in the air.

"Yeah yeah we know!" Bart, AC and Victor say all together. "We're despicable!"

Neutron then topples over landing face first.

* * *

Back with Dinah and Oliver it is killing Oliver that he can't help her against their shadowy foe but every time he tries to move the pain that shoots through him tells him that helping Dinah is kind of impossible.

Dinah pushes herself back to her feet which is getting harder every time she is knocked down. She is definitely going to feel this in the morning assuming she lives that long.

Shadow's laughter echoes all around her. Wait a second...echoes?

That gives her an idea. "Arrow. Cover your ears!" she commands him. Oliver manages to do that...just. Dinah sucks in a huge breath and unleashes her Canary Cry. In such a confined space it bounces off all the walls meaning there is no place her opponent can hide even in his shadow form. Oliver grits his teeth at the pain that even his hands over his ears can't prevent.

Dinah then notices a shadow move and fall to the ground where it takes the form of a man kneeling down with his hands over his ears. Now she has him.

Swiftly she moves over to him and before he can retake his shadow form swings a kick at his head which connects giving her a feeling of quite a lot of satisfaction. He stirs slightly from his prone position on the ground so Dinah quickly follows that up with a right hook.

That done she makes her way back over to Ollie and gingerly sits herself down.

"You ok?" he asks her with great concern.

"I'll live," is her rather uninformative answer.

"I was worried about you there."

Dinah is caught by the strange softness of Ollie's voice. He almost never sounds like that. She ends up resting her head on his shoulder as Oliver manages to get his arm around Dinah. To Dinah's surprise she feels a soft kiss on the top of her head and for a moment she allows herself to dream of a world where they share many moments like this.

* * *

Xander hits the wall of the cavern once more for the...he lost count about 20 times ago.

Parasite laughs. "Man I thought this would have gotten boring by now but really this is quite entertaining!"

Xander gets back up to his feet.

"Oh my dear Xander if only you could see yourself the way I see you thanks to your friend's memories. Then you would realise what a pathetic schmuck you are. You are nothing but an insect trying to relate to gods."

Xander dusts himself off. "If this is one of those don't you know how insignificant you are speeches save it. I've heard them all. You may have stolen a few of their memories but you will never understand them the way I do. You will never understand how they need people like me."

Parasite chortles. "They don't need you Xander. They need to be unleashed and through me at least some of them has been. Once I'm done here with you I think I'll go and see about draining that alien friend of yours. I bet his power will be the ultimate rush!"

"You do know that you aren't leaving here," Xander tells him.

"Whose going to stop me? You?" Parasite asks Xander looking extremely amused by that idea.

"No! Me!"

Parasite spins round to find Willow standing right behind him. He had forgotten about her and hadn't noticed that she was awake and standing again. She grabs onto his face and unimaginable pain strikes him as he feels all his stolen power drain from him. "You aren't the only one in the world who can drain power," Willow says darkly.

Parasite drops to his knees as the drain continues beyond the power he stole and onto his own life force. "Stop it," he begs. "Stop it please. You're killing me."

Willow looks down on him with eyes turned soulless black. "Bored now!"

At that Xander rushes over to Willow and grabs her arm. "Will. Enough."

She turns her head and glares at him contemplating what to do. Listen to him or kill him.

"Think of Chloe," Xander requests of her. "Is this the Willow she loves?"

Emotions flicker across Willow's face which even twitches slightly as Willow's darker and lighter parts do battle within her. It takes a few seconds before she releases Parasite who drops to the ground.

"Will?" Xander queries.

Willow says nothing. Instead she raises her hand and holds out her palm. In it an orb of energy forms. "Time for you to go back where you belong," she says before she blows on the orb which flies off into the darkness.

Willow's eyes then return to their natural colour before she wobbles slightly and Xander grabs hold of her before she topples over. "You alright?" he asks her.

Willow nods. "Yeah." She looks up into her friend's face. "Thanks."

Xander shrugs. "Just be lucky you aren't that heavy or you would be face down in the dirt."

Willow smiles. "I didn't mean for that."

"I know," Xander says softly. She means for reaching out to her before she went all Darth Will again. He looks down at Parasite. "What about him?"

"Oh he'll live although the headache he'll have when he wakes up might make him not want to."

"He said he could hear thoughts," Xander mentions at what Parasite might have stolen.

"I took care of it," Willow says coolly. "He'll be lucky to remember his own name when he wakes up."

Well that takes care of that Xander guesses. "What was that about with the glowy ball thingy?" he asks.

"Oh that. My power wasn't the only one he stole. I was just sending it back to its owner," she explains to him. Willow takes a step or two back, places her hands together and cracks her knuckles. "Now that that is over. Time to deal with the real threat."

"Real threat?" Xander queries.

"Oh yeah while I was out there I still could sense some things. Below the ancient magic I sensed is this other one directing it. One I recognised. I know what is going on now and who is behind this." She places her hand on Xander's arm.

"Oh no," he says as he realises what she is about to do.

"Fraid so. Sorry."

Xander hates this bit. It always makes his stomach queasy when Willow teleports him anywhere. The two of them vanish in a mist of coloured lights.

* * *

"Deal or no Deal?"

Faith has this choice to make. Sell her soul to the First for the restoration of her powers and maybe...possibly a happy ever after type life or say screw it, get up off this floor and help Clark even without her powers. Now she will admit thinking on it for longer than she should considering Clark is fighting a kryptonite powered cyborg right at this moment but no-one can ever accuse her of being a saint and the offer has its temptations and she needs to think on it.

Or does she?

"Screw it," she finally mutters and forces herself to get to her feet. She then makes her choice by heading in the direction of Clark and Metallo and not looking back.

"You're making a mistake!" the First/Buffy chides her using Buffy's most aggravating tone.

"Wouldn't be the first time! Won't be the last!"

"We'll see about that," the First/Buffy says darkly before it vanishes.

Metallo slams a fist across Clark's face and blood flies out of his mouth. He staggers back several paces as he breathes hard. He doesn't think he has much left in the tank so to speak. Metallo takes a step towards him when there is a loud whistling sound.

"Hey Frankenstein's wannabe! Over here!" Faith yells at it.

Metallo turns its head and assesses her threat level. "Species Designation: Human. Threat level...minimal," it announces in a half-robotic half-human voice."

Faith pouts. "I'm hurt and you obviously don't date much."

"Faith," Clark warns her off.

Faith ignores him no doubt trying to be chivalrous or something and runs right at Metallo. It decides the best course of action is to incapacitate her and then return to destroying the primary target. It swings an arm at her but Faith rolls under it with ease and pops back up standing between Clark and Metallo. She may not have the strength but the instincts never leave.

Metallo tries again to hit her but Faith manages to dodge the blows until a backhand hits her hard across the face and she rolls across the ground. Metallo moves and stands above her. It grabs her by the throat and picks her up and raises its other hand back to punch her only for that arm to be grabbed by Clark using whatever strength he has left.

"Faith. Grab the Kryptonite," he tells her while he struggles to hold onto the cyborg.

Faith would love to if she could breath which she can't. Her vision is starting to grey slightly when she spots a strange multi-coloured ball of energy appear. Wow the hallucinations must have kicked in. Her brain must really be oxygen deprived. The ball zooms straight at her and hits Faith square in the chest. Her whole body seems to glow for a second as her eyes close in reaction and she gasps slightly.

When Faith's eyes reopen there is a new determination and power about them. She grabs the hand holding her by the throat and pries the fingers apart and drops to the floor in a crouch. She looks up with a predatory smirk. "I'm baaaccckkk!"

Clark who is starting to lose his grip manages to say through gritted teeth "Faith! The kryptonite!" he reminds her and acting before it kills him would be good.

Faith rushes in and her hands grab the glowing green rock in the cyborg's chest. Electricity arcs from the metal chamber housing the rock and Faith grits her teeth at the pain before with a yank she pulls the rock free. She tumbles backward before using her newly restored slayer strength she throws the rock as far away as possible.

She turns her attention back to the cyborg who looks frozen like a statue or something. "Um what's up with that?" she asks.

Clark takes a laboured and slightly limping step around to the front and examines it. "I think the kryptonite was powering it." He scratches his head. "That's kind of a bad design flaw," he remarks.

Faith manages a smile at his humour before she notices Clark start to wobble. She rushes forward just as he topples over and catches him and lets out an 'oof' at his weight. "Jesus. What do you weigh?"

"Dense molecular structure," Clark says tiredly as Faith lowers him to the floor.

"You alright?" she asks.

Clark gives her a look. "I just fought a kryptonite powered cyborg so not really."

"Will you be alright?" Faith asks a different question.

"I need sunlight."

"That could be a problem," Faith says considering they are in a dark cave underground.

"I noticed." Clark manages to get up to a sitting position. "So what was the First wanting?" he asks.

"You saw that?"

Clark nods.

"Nothing...really."

"Faith," Clark says insistently.

"It just wanted to make me a deal. I refused."

Clark can't help but feel there is more to it than that. He takes a breath. "Faith. I can't fly us out of here so if you want to sit here in silence fine but if you need to talk I'm good at listening."

Faith thinks on it for several minutes in fact. "Alright but you are going to make way too much into this."

"Let me be the judge of that."

Clark listens as Faith tells him of what the First showed her. He gives it a minute before saying anything. "Faith...do you have feelings for me?"

"Well not like that. I mean don't get me wrong you're a great guy but you love B and she loves you and even I can see it and I'm not...I'm not the kind of person who wrecks stuff like that anymore." Faith rubs the back of her neck in an unusual awkward gesture. "I mean I think I would like to have a life like that you know. With a great guy who loves me," she admits with honesty.

"You will have a life like that Faith," Clark says in what is almost a promise and would be if he had power to do stuff like that.

"Yeah I don't see that happening any time soon."

"Well it will when you and Xander admit you like each other," Clark says out of the blue.

Faith's jaw literally drops. "What?"

"When humans are attracted to each other they release pheromones which alters their scent. My sense of smell is sensitive enough to detect it," he explains to her.

"What the hell does this have to do with me and the Xan man?"

"When we were having our meeting before the mission you and Xander were standing next to each other and I picked up the changes in your scents."

"I...don't...we...there is nothing going on," Faith says sounding uncharacteristically nervous and unsure of herself.

"But do you want there to be?" he asks her.

Faith's eyes dart back and forth as she thinks. Does she? Her and Xander..lately...

God when did it even start. She and he just started hanging out after Renee died. She felt like she should be there as a friend and well sure they have hanged out a lot these last few months and she never found him unbearable to be around. He is kind of fun in his own weird way but lately she has started to feel something more...but he doesn't return it.

Wait a sec didn't Clark say Xander's scent changed too. Does that mean he likes her too?

Faith isn't really sure what to do...and this use to be so much easier for her. When did it get so hard? She must be getting old.

_**THUD!**_

It is the sound of something landing in the darkness with them. There is an animal like growl and in the dark what looks like two yellowish eyes flash briefly.

Faith is instantly to her feet. Can they not get just one break?

"Stay here!" she orders Clark seeing how in bad shape he is. She'll take care of this. Faith moves off into the darkness while Clark does all he can do and sit there which he is not happy about but he is just so tired.

Faith vanishes from his sight. A few seconds later he hear what sounds like fighting and then Faith is literally flying past him and sliding across the ground to a halt. From the way she is not moving he can guess she is knocked out.

It's never easy.

Clark forces himself back to his feet which is not easy in his current state. There is another growl and another flash of those inhuman yellow eyes. Clark braces himself to face whatever it is as it steps out of the darkness and into view.

As it does so he cannot believe what his eyes are seeing. It looks like her but doesn't move like her at all. It is moving almost like an animal carefully stalking its prey as it circles around him on its hands and feet. Considering how strong it must be to do what it did to Faith Clark eyes it warily and as he does so can see its gaze soften in...recognition?

The yellow eyes fade away to reveal all too familiar emerald green ones. He says his next word in a breathy whisper as he realises it doesn't look like her. It is her. "Buffy."

* * *

_Author's Note: Oh dear. Now what has happened to Buffy? Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Up Next: Flawed Victory._


	59. Part 4 Chapter 13: Flawed Victory

Chapter 13: Flawed Victory

"Having technical problems?" Lex queries, unable to stop sounding kind of amused. The magical CCTV has seemingly gone on the blink with all the viewing portals filled up with static snow. The last images before that happened were of the so-called heroes on top it seemed. His 5 metahuman operatives were beaten. Lex had made a mental note of everything that transpired for next time he met Green Arrow's little band so that he could make the necessary changes. Metallo was now inoperative. That was the last image before the portals went out. He will have to remember advising coming up with a cover of some sort for Metallo's power source. One that can he opened and shut at will because it has to be open to affect the alien. The alien still looked really familiar to Lex but it was so annoying that he still couldn't seem to put a name to him.

Ethan frowns. He hadn't done that. Who did?

A flash of light and a ribbon of energy hit him and he slides across the floor. Ethan gets back up quickly and dusts himself off to see the witch and the boy have arrived. "Not bad," he remarks at what Willow just hit him with.

"I'm only warming up," Willow warns him. "I've been waiting ages to kick your English arse," she says in a very poor impression of an English accent.

Ethan smirks. "On come on now Red we should be on the same side you and I. I can sense the delicious chaos inside you."

Ugh. Willow had almost forgotten Ethan was a chaos mage, serving those dark forces that try to bring anarchy to the world...and did he just come on to her?

Did some old **guy **just come on her because seriously...ew!

Willow literally rolls her sleeves up. "Alright then. Lets see what you've got," she challenges him.

While Ethan and Willow exchange spell and counter-spell Xander takes his opportunity to free Giles who has not missed the bruises and cuts on the young man's face. While Xander works the knots on Giles' ropes the older man asks "Are you alright?"

"Oh sure. Had a fun chat with a power sucking leech about certain memories he took from Faith which I should not have mentioned because I'm not talking about them ever. Then using powers he sucks from Will I get to do my impression of a ping pong ball so I can definitely say that this day has been the funest all round," Xander says not even trying to hide his sarcasm. He manages to free Giles. "How has your day been?"

Giles stands up and rubs his wrists. "It has definitely been better," he remarks as he looks on as Willow and Ethan battle.

"My bet is that Will beats him in 5 minutes," Xander tells Giles.

"Excuse me," a rather irate Lex interrupts. "How about releasing me?" he requests.

Xander looks to Giles who shakes his head in the negative. They have enough problems right now without dealing with the loose cannon that is Lex Luthor.

Xander looks down at Lex. "Sorry. G-man says no. Besides while Willow is beating up the anti-Giles there you and I need to have a serious chat. I mean really another cyborg? After what happened last time." Xander shakes his head with disappointment. "I mean that is seriously unoriginal. What happened to anything new and exciting?"

Lex closes his eyes as the man with the eye-patch lays out precisely where he apparently went wrong. It seems his humiliation must continue but he is making a mental note of all this and he will makes them pay. Rest assured he will.

* * *

"Buffy," Clark repeats as he tries to work out what has happened to her and considering the worlds they live in that could be anything. Possessions, magic spells, influenced by alien parasite or alien technology or meteor rocks or a whole plethora of other possibilities.

Buffy cocks her head slightly and sniffs the air.

"Buffy. It's me, Clark," he says hoping that she is in there and can hear him.

Buffy lets out a growl and leaps at him with immense speed. In his weakened state she easily knocks him down and pins him to the ground where...she starts sniffing him.

Buffy knows that scent. Knows this man. He is hers. Her mate. She will kill anyone who tries to take him from her. "Mine," she growls out and then she claims what is hers.

Clark yelps in pain as Buffy sinks her teeth into his neck. She then carefully, gently licks the wound as Clark reaches the realisation that Buffy just marked him. "Buffy?" he queries hoping he can at least get her to stop pinning him down because in his current state he isn't moving her and seeing what she did to Faith leaves the impression that she is stronger than she was. What has happened to her?

Buffy raises her head and Clark can see that her eyes are still their normal green colour at least but the look in her eyes is so...feral.

"Clark. Mine," she says.

Ok and her grasp of language seem to have deserted her too.

"Clark. Mine," she repeats more insistently and Clark cottons on she expects him to say something to confirm that.

"Yes. I'm...yours."

Buffy lets out what Clark would call a purr. "Buffy. Yours," she says now.

Clark decides he better play along for now. "Yes. Buffy...mine," he says and you know he so sorely wishes the circumstances in which he was saying something along these lines was true.

Buffy seems to purr louder and nuzzle into his neck. Clark gently strokes her hair. Faith then begins to stir and Buffy leaps off Clark and growls. Clark jumps to his feet as fast as he can and moves in between Buffy and Faith.

Faith pushes herself off the ground while wondering what the hell did she have to drink last night that gave her this hangover. Then she remembers. It wasn't alcohol. It was Buffy or something that looked like her. She looks around to see Clark standing between her and...whatever it is. "Clark," she begins to say but he cuts her off with a raise of his hand. The second Faith spoke Buffy's eyes turned yellow again.

Clark kneels down so he is at the crouched, ready to pounce, Buffy's height. "Buffy," he says gently but firmly.

"Clark. Mine," she growls out. She will not let this other female near him.

"Yes. I'm yours but this is Faith," he says gesturing in Faith's direction. "You remember Faith. Faith. Friend."

Buffy blinks and her eyes revert to their green colour. "Faith. Friend," she repeats almost like a child.

"That's right," Clark tells her in praise. Clark signals for Faith to come over which she does very cautiously. She kneels down next to Clark, too close apparently, when Buffy growls at her so Faith slides over a little bit.

"B?" she queries at the sight of her sister slayer behaving so simple...like an animal of some sort but it is more than that. Her slayer senses can detect...Faith isn't sure what but it is all coming from Buffy.

"Faith. Friend?" Buffy inquires.

Faith indulges Buffy. "Yes. I'm your friend...Buffy, she says using the full name instead of her nickname for Buffy. "Do you remember me?"

Buffy looks at Faith intently and a jumble of images flash through her mind involving the dark haired girl. Nothing specific she can make out though or in her current state understand. Buffy slowly makes her way back to Clark's side where she places herself under his arm. Clark raises his arm and lets her nuzzle into his side while he strokes her hair.

"What is goin on?" Faith asks Clark. "What has happened to her?"

"I have no idea," Clark admits in all honesty but what he promises is that he is going to find out and then do everything in his power to help her.

* * *

Back with Willow and Ethan the witch and the chaos mage remain locked in an even battle, neither able to get the upper hand.

"You know we are going to be at this forever," Ethan says as he blocks one of Willow's spells.

"Only because you are getting help," Willow points out. "Think about that by the way Ethan. Think about who is helping you and even then you are barely in my league," she boasts sounding almost cocky.

Ethan launches a spell at Willow which she blocks with a green shield. "Raw power isn't everything luv. There is no substitute for experience."

"I quite agree," Willow says and slams her hands together. Golden lightning shoots from them which Ethan blocks with a shield of his own. However instead if bouncing off of it the shield absorb the lighting and it changes to the same golden colour.

"Bugger," is all Ethan manages to say before his shield warps and shifts shape and suddenly envelops him, imprisoning and binding him.

"Well done," Giles says in praise of Willow. That was very inventive turning Ethan's defence into her attack.

Willow smiles at that. "Thanks."

"What did you do?" Xander asks her.

Willow shrugs slightly. "He was right in one way. If we kept trying to outwit each other's attacks we would have been at it for a very long time so the easy solution was to turn his defence into my own attack. In fact you can thank Chloe for it."

"Chloe," Lex growls out. He should have known.

"Whoops!" Willow says when she realises what she has done in revealing that to Lex. She can see another mind wipe spell coming up.

Xander taps the still bound up Lex on the head. "Ignore the bald grump and explain please," he requests.

"Bottom line is that I infected Ethan's shield with a magical virus like you would do, like Chloe does, to computer system firewalls." Willow holds up 3 fingers. "3 words. Best. Girlfriend. Ever!"

"Can I say something at this juncture?" Ethan asks from his golden prison.

"No you can't," Giles says with a lot of loathing for his once upon a time friend.

The whole places then shakes. "I really think you want to listen to me now," Ethan continues. "You see this entire place is a magical construct and with Red there binding my powers..."

"There is nothing to maintain it," Giles finishes as he realises what Ethan is on about.

"Bingo!"

The shaking becomes more violent, the cave walls begin to literally dissolve and then there is a blinding flash of light and when everyone can see again they find themselves back where they started in the lab Metallo was being constructed in. It is still wrecked by the explosion that hit it only there is no missing floor now. Obviously that was when Ethan's magic took over and everything from that point where they fell down the chasm was part of the magical construct.

Everyone takes a moment to realise where they are. Oliver and Dinah are where they were sitting together with her leaning into him and him with his arm around her. AC, Victor and Bart are in the middle of giving each other a high 5. Xander, Giles, Willow, a still tied up Lex and a bounded Ethan are there. Clark, Faith and Buffy are where they were kneeling down whole all their foes are in the state they were left in; unconscious. Well all except one.

Clark instantly almost collapses forward the second before he is grabbed by the collar of his jacket and thrown across the room slamming into the metal wall. There is a horrible crunch as his weakened body for once succumbs to the laws of physics about what happens when a body hits something hard at high speed. He manages to stay conscious enough to register the green rock back in its place in Metallo's chest. How did that happen?

Seeing her mate being attacked Buffy's reaction is instant and almost beyond the ability of anyone present to follow her movements so quick are they. She lets out a deep feral growl and leaps at Metallo who can only manage to turn round before Buffy has swiped at him and her fingernails manges to rip deep gouges into the patchwork flesh of his chest.

Buffy prowls around Metallo her eyes back to yellow with the look of a pure predator. Metallo in turn assess her threat. "Species designation...unknown. Threat level...unknown," it announces in its half-human half-robotic voice. It moves to destroy this new threat. It swings a punch at Buffy who easily dodges and with another swipe of her hand rips five more gouges into Metallo's flesh.

It continues like that for a few more goes. Metallo tries to hit Buffy, she dodges and rips more gouges into the flesh. Metallo swings its arm at her again only this time she catches it like she is bored of this. She raises her right hand back and slashes right into the shoulder while at the same time pulling and she pulls the arm right off.

Metallo staggers back. Buffy leaps right at Metallo hitting it square in the chest and knocking Metallo over. Buffy then grabs the head and twists hard. The ligaments and the bones snap. The metal reinforcements around the neck rip away from the flesh they were attached to and with a primal roar Buffy physically rips Metallo's head clean off its shoulders.

Everyone in the room, everyone conscious that is, can't help but stare unable to believe what they are seeing of this animalistic Buffy.

Bart chooses this moment to let out a whistle and say something inappropriate. "Must be her time of the month or something," he whisper to his comrades.

Buffy hears him, her head snaps to his direction and in a blur of motion she zips across the room and wraps her hand around Bart's throat. Her nails dig into the flesh drawing blood.

"Buffy...stop," Clark says with a painful cough as he struggles back to his feet. Buffy looks at him without releasing Bart. "Buffy," Clark says in as a calm soothing voice as he can manage. "Put him down. He is a friend. You remember friend."

Buffy tilts her head at an angle. Her mate's voice soothes the anger and rage within her. She blinks her eyes a few times as they revert back to their green colour once more. "Friend?" she queries.

"Yes. That's right friend," Clark confirms.

Xander is about to say something at all this when a hand clamps over his partially open mouth. It's Faith. "Shh," she tells him. "If you value your health don't draw her attention," she orders him in a whisper.

Clark takes in a pained breath. Oh yeah he definitely broke something there he thinks. "Put him down Buffy," Clark repeats.

Buffy lowers Bart to the ground and releases her grip on his neck. Bart's hands automatically go to his neck as he takes in deep breaths to make up for the ones that were denied to him when Buffy had her hand round his throat. Buffy takes in everyone who is staring at her with a suspicious gaze and a low growl deep in her throat.

"It's ok Buffy," Clark attempts to reassure her. He opens his arms and gestures for her to come to him. "Come on. No-one will hurt you. I promise."

Buffy makes her way back to Clark and rests her head on his chest while he wraps his arms around her and strokes her hair. "Machine-Man hurt Clark?" she asks him with concern for her mate.

"No," he tells her. Ok he lies to her but he has enough to deal with without setting her off again.

"Clark!" a voice exclaims. Lex's voice. He has finally gotten it and he cannot believe he never worked it out before now. This was Clark's secret. The one he had spent years trying to figure out.

Clark fixes Lex a look while he continues to stroke Buffy's hair. "Hello Lex."

"So this is it. The great big secret. You're one of the aliens," he accuses.

"I am who I've always been Lex."

"Is that so?" Lex asks sceptically. "Is that why you are cradling that..creature," he says the word with disgust, "in your arms?"

Clark looks down at Buffy and kisses the top of her head. "This creature as you call her happens to be the woman I love."

"She's an animal Clark. Look at her. Whatever has happened to her has made her a hundred times worse than the rest of them."

Buffy growls at that like she understands him. Clark simply shakes his head in what has to be pity for his former friend. "Lex where you see an animal I see a woman that needs my help."

"And what about the rest of these so-called slayers." Lex is now the one to shake his head. "I can't believe you of all people are allying yourself with them or then again considering your less than human status maybe I can."

"They are people who want to help the world not exploit it." And that would be why he is allied with them.

"Well I can see you are still definitely Clark Kent. No-one else is that naïve," Lex says insultingly. "They're killers Clark. Can't you see where all this will lead. One day they will succeed in wiping the world clear of demons and then what. They will still be killers but the only prey that will be left for them is the human race. This is why I am doing this Clark. To save the human race and you can help me. Be a part of it."

"And you'll generously overlook the fact I am an alien I'm assuming."

Lex shrugs. "That is a minor detail in the greater scheme of things."

"And you use to be a much better liar," Clark tells him or maybe he has gotten better at detecting them. In either case he sure as hell isn't going to be working with Lex any time soon.

"Can we just blow this place and go now?" Faith asks utterly fed up of this place.

"Just a minute," Clark tells her as he makes his way over to the still imprisoned figure of Ethan Rayne with Buffy walking with him. "Is he responsible for this?" he asks.

Willow nods, shaking her thoughts off of what in the hell has happened to Buffy to Clark's question. "Sort of. Him and our old friend the First."

Clark looks at him intently. "Where is she?" he demands to know.

Ethan grins malevolently. "You'll never find her," he guarantees.

"Find who?" AC asks.

"The one of us that is missing," Clark responds to AC. "Where is Zatanna?" he demands to know from Ethan.

"I'm not telling you anything boyscout!"

It is only now that everyone realises that Zatanna is missing. Giles mutters under his breath and marches forward with purpose. He reaches into the golden field and grabs Ethan by his shirt. "What have you done you pillock?" he says quite angrily.

"Takin this kind of personal aren't you G-man," Faith observes.

Giles vigorously shakes Ethan. "What did you do?" he demands to know.

"Easy Ripper. I know she's old John's daughter. I haven't harmed her...physically but I couldn't let her interfere either. I knew she would sense the magic and try to counter it so I sent her away where she could do no harm."

Giles narrows his eyes. He is frankly pissed. "Sent her where?" he says slowly and clearly so Ethan can't mistake his intent if he doesn't get the answer he wants.

Ethan flashes Giles a smile. "I ain't telling you that and nothing you can threaten me with will make me."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Giles says with a dangerous intent to his tone of voice.

"You forget who I serve," Ethan reminds Giles. Before Giles can ask what that means the golden energy around Ethan starts to wax and wane before sputtering out of life altogether. A laughter pours out of Ethan in a voice that is obviously not his own. "Savour your victory while you can heroes," a dark, cold voice announces speaking through Ethan. "Because an icy cold future awaits you. Cythonna will rise. Heroes will die. Choices will be made and the world will never be the same again."

Dark clouds form around Ethan's feet and whirl around him until he is hidden from view. Tiny bolts of lightning arc through them. Then they dissipate and Ethan is gone.

"How come we can never get any good news," Bart wonders.

"You know that was just what I was thinking," Xander says in agreement.

Faith rolls her eyes. "Great. Now there's two of them," she mutters.

By now Dinah has helped Oliver to his feet. "Lets just finish what we came here to do," Oliver instructs. "Impulse. Plant the explosives," he commands and Bart gives Oliver a little salute and zips off in a blur. "Lex you are going to order your men to evacuate."

Lex just fixes Green Arrow his best glare. Months of work ruined. Millions of dollars wasted but at least he learned something. He knows the truth about Clark and that alone makes up for his losses here today.

"Guys we're leaving," Oliver orders everyone.

"Wait a second," Willow says stopping everyone. "Where's Riley?" she asks the very pertinent question.

"Aquaman, Cyborg. Go see if you can find him," Oliver instructs them since they look in pretty good shape.

"I'll go too," Faith offers. After all she knows what he looks like.

Several minutes later they return with Victor carrying Riley. "Is he alright?" Willow asks.

"He has a concussion," Victor reports from his examination of Riley.

Xander catches Faith looking very pissed. "Faith. What is it?"

"We found the girls. They're dead." Faith shoots a murderous glare at Lex. They found Riley amongst the wreckage of what were obviously holding cells along with all the missing slayers. Riley was alive. The girls were all dead.

"I never ordered that," Lex protests his innocent. "I was saving them as test subjects for Metallo."

"That I believe...unfortunately," Clark has to say.

Faith swiftly moves and wraps her hand around Lex's throat. "You may not have done it but I'm guessing you know who did. Tell me!" she demands.

"Faith," Clark says. "He won't tell you...not unless there is something in it for him."

"How about his miserable worthless life," Faith threatens darkly in what she plans to do.

Lex smiles with this extremely smug expression. "You won't do it," he says knowingly managing to speak through Faith's grip which she tightens. The smug bastard. He's right of course. She won't do it. She can't allow herself to go back to being what she was before. With a grunt of disgust she releases her grip.

Bart reappears. "Everything's in place," he informs them all.

Oliver gestures at Lex with his a nod of his head in Lex's direction. "Someone give him a radio so he can order the evacuation."

AC picks one up off a knocked out guard and holds it in front of Lex's mouth where he gives the order. After that they gather up the unconscious and all leave post-haste.

* * *

The group stand on the hill overlooking the facility. All their foes are now tied up a safe distance away when the whole place goes up in a fireball.

"So do we call this a victory?" Xander asks having never done anything like this before.

Clark lets out a sad sigh. "One of our team missing and Buffy..." Clark looks down at the woman he loves still gripped around him unwilling to be parted from him. "Whatever has happened to her. If it is one it is a flawed one at best."

Willow and Giles walk up the hill approaching the group. "Well?" Oliver asks them, still needing Dinah to hold him up.

"It's done," Willow says.

"What will he remember?" Clark asks.

Willow and Giles had just finished rooting around in Lex's head wiping certain memories. Not a pleasant experience and certainly not one Willow has any wish to repeat any time soon. Lex's mind was a twisted place. Giles takes his glasses off and cleans a few flakes of snow from them as he says "He won't remember the truth about you Clark or anything about slayers. All he'll remember about tonight is that the Green Arrow and his group attacked one of his facilities and destroyed it."

"So he is going to probably be even more annoyed at you," Willow not so helpfully informs Oliver.

"Fine by me," Oliver replies not bothered what Lex thinks or feels.

"Are we just leaving them all here?" Faith inquires in relation to everyone who was in the facility.

"Lex has a back-up team a few hours away," Oliver tells her. "They would have detected the explosion and already be on their way here so no-one will freeze to death or anything. We should definitely go before they get here though."

The group depart for where they left the helicopter that brought them here albeit slower going back than they were coming here due to the injuries they have all suffered. Clark even has a slight limp which will of course heal as soon as the sun rises which shouldn't be too long now. Buffy walks beside him still not letting him go. He swears he'll somehow find out what happened to her and help her. He swears he'll find Zatanna as well. She is his friend and he owes her that much.

Clark was right. This is a flawed victory if you can even call it that. They lost Zatanna and in a way they lost Buffy. He bends his head and gives her a small kiss on the top of Buffy's head. She lets out another of what sounds like a purr. In response he whispers. "I love you."

As they near the helicopter Clark thinks to himself that now the search begins. The search for Zatanna and the search for a way to help Buffy.

Yes.

Now the search begins.

* * *

Meanwhile far across the world in a typical diner in a not so typical American city a brunette young lady walks in soaked to her skin due to the pouring rain outside. She is shivering as she takes a few steps inside.

One of the waitresses who was just cleaning up some tables spots her. "Hey you alright?" she asks the brunette girl.

The girl hesitates for a few seconds before saying anything. "I don't know," is her reply.

"Don't know what?"

"Anything." She looks off to the side for a moment while she thinks before turning back to the waitress. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Who am I?"

* * *

_Author's Note: I'm surprised that no-one noticed that it has been 3 chapters since I last mentioned Zatanna. It wasn't because I forgot about her. As you can now see I did it on purpose. The search for her will allow me to bring Batman back into the story more permanently than his previous appearance allowed. As for answers as to what happened to Buffy, Camille's fate and a few other loose ends they will be tied up in the next chapter. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up: The Search._


	60. Part 4 Chapter 14: The Search

Chapter 14: The Search

A couple of days later and Clark wakes up now having fully recovered from his fight with Metallo. They had regrouped at Oliver's mansion to rest and try to come up with answers as to how to find Zatanna and how to help Buffy. So far they hadn't had much luck with either.

A slight stirring beside him causes Clark to open his eyes and turn his gaze at the mass of blonde hair at his side. Buffy was still refusing to leave his side. At night she would curl up around him in bed. In almost any other scenario Clark would be deliriously happy at the situation. Unfortunately in this one he can't be, not until Buffy is herself again and he knows for certain what she is feeling and where they stand.

Clark gently pries himself out of Buffy's grip and slides out of bed. In response Buffy grabs his pillow and cuddles into that instead. He bends down and kisses her on the forehead. "We'll find a way to help you Buffy. I promise," he says at a whisper.

He the quickly leaves so he can have his shower before Buffy wakes up. He had to be around her when she was awake as his presence kept her calm.

Later that morning Clark is feeding Buffy her breakfast since letting her do it herself was...messy was a mild description as to what would happen. Anyway he is feeding her after getting her dressed when less than dulcet tones hit her ears. Buffy's head snaps up and she lets out a small feral growl as she hears it too.

"Clark Kent!"

It is then Chloe barges into the lounge he and Buffy are currently sitting in. Clark has to grab Buffy by the arm as her eyes flash yellow. This seemed to happen whenever she was startled. Chloe sees it and takes a visible step back.

"Chloe," Clark chastises her. "I thought Willow told you about Buffy."

Chloe looks kind of sheepish. "Um well she did but I...wasn't thinking."

"There's a surprise," Clark mumbles sarcastically. He turns his attention to Buffy. "Buffy. This is Chloe. You remember Chloe. Chloe. Friend."

Buffy's eyes soften back to their natural green. She looks at Chloe and sniffs the air. "Smells like Willow," she says.

"What?" Chloe asks.

"She can smell Willow on you," Clark explains and so can he.

"Willow's mate," Buffy states.

"Yes," Clark confirms for her.

"Ok," Chloe says a little creeped out.

"Why are you here?" Clark asks his friend and he means why has she gone through the effort of coming all the way to Star City from Metropolis.

"Can I sit?" Chloe asks unsure whether Buffy will let her.

"In the chair," Clark advises gesturing at the chair across the table from where he and Buffy are sitting. Chloe sits herself down. "So Chloe why are you here?" Clark asks her again.

"Simple really. I want to know why I have spent the last day and a half with Lois crying on my shoulder."

"Talk to Oliver Chloe. Not me. I am not responsible for his actions."

"He dumped Lois...over the phone! He didn't even have the guts to do it to her face!" Chloe says expressing anger for the way her cousin has been treated.

"What do you expect me to say Chloe. I don't agree with the way he did it."

"Well maybe you can tell me why at least." Clark opens his mouth to speak but Chloe cuts him off needing to add something. "And don't say you don't know because we both know you hear and see more than you let on."

Clark inwardly sighs. How the hell has he got caught up in this he doesn't know but Chloe won't let up until she gets the truth from him. "He's in love with Dinah."

Chloe's eyes flash in rage. "That two timing insidious slimy toad. When I get my hands on him..."

"Chloe," Clark cuts her off. "I don't think he cheated on Lois...exactly. He just realised he wasn't in love with her the way he was in love with Dinah."

Chloe snorts. "Typical man. Always sticking up for each other."

"And what would you have me do Chloe? Break every bone in his body? Fry him to a crisp? What?"

"Well no," Chloe says. She doesn't want to go that far although castration might be a good solution.

"Look Chlo I'm sorry Lois is hurt. I really am but even I, for all the power I possess, can't control what people choose to do."

"Did you even talk to him about it?" Chloe asks him.

Clark gives Chloe a pointed look. "I've got problems as it is Chloe without getting dragged into other's people's love lives."

"Yeah I guess you do," Chloe concedes in a soft tone as she looks at Buffy for a second.

"Chloe?"

Chloe, Clark and Buffy too turn their heads to see Willow has entered the room.

"Hey Will," Chloe says as an enormous brilliant smile adorns her face at the sight of her girlfriend. She gets to her feet and the two share a tender yet intimate hug and kiss.

"What are you doing here?" Willow asks of her girlfriend.

"To give me the 3rd degree over something that ain't my fault," Clark complains sounding whiny about it.

Chloe rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "I think I liked you better when you were being all dark and brooding."

"Oh trust me that gets old really really fast," Willow says from her experience with dark brooding hero types.

Clark changes subjects. "So Willow any luck?"

Willow knows Clark means any luck with finding out what happened with Buffy. She sits herself down with a small shake of her head. "No," she has to regrettably inform Clark. It wasn't like she hadn't tried but whatever had happened to Buffy meant Willow's magics sort of just slide around her instead of affecting her in anyway. Buffy had become the magical equivalent of a non-stick frying pan. Willow explains this to Clark and Chloe.

Chloe who by now is sitting down next to Will says "I guess fate just likes to keep kicking us huh."

"What did you say?" Clark asks her

"I said 'Fate just likes to keep kicking us'," Chloe repeats herself.

"That's it!" Clark declares as a light-bulb goes off above his head.

Chloe and Willow look at each other totally lost and then back to Clark. "What's it?" Chloe asks him.

"I know someone who can help."

"Who?" Willow asks.

"Someone I met when I was travelling around for those seven months. He knows a whole ton of stuff about magic. Maybe he knows something that you don't," Clark says talking to Willow. "No offence," he adds quickly.

Willow waves him off. "None taken. If I knew everything I would be God."

"Well you are one in the bedroom," Chloe can't help herself saying mischievously.

Clark's face screws up. "Ok I so don't need that visual in my head."

"So shall we go tell everyone and head off?" Willow asks Clark.

"Um...no. This guy...he doesn't like visitors but I have a feeling he will be expecting me."

"What makes you say that?" Chloe asks him.

Clark shrugs. "Something he said when we parted ways last time," he says vaguely. Clark turns to Buffy. "Buffy. We're going to go on a trip ok? Just you and me."

Buffy nuzzles into Clark's side. "Ok," she kind of parrots.

Clark kisses the top of her head. "Just stay here with Willow and Chloe for a moment while I get changed," he tells her softly. Clark gently pries Buffy off of him, stands up, whooshes off and reappears a couple of seconds later in his costume.

Chloe makes a face. The whole black ensemble was so not Clark.

Clark picks Buffy up into his arms.

"So what are we suppose to do?" Willow asks him.

"Find Zatanna," he requests of them. "Please."

Willow turns her thoughts to it. Buffy had been a bit of a priority but she might have a few ideas on how to find Zatanna.

"Can you at least tell us where you are going?" Chloe asks.

"Salem, Massachusetts."

* * *

Clark, carrying Buffy, floats down in what appears to be simply the middle of a wooded area. After Clark places her down on her feet Buffy sniffs the air and growls. "Magic."

"Fraid so," Clark says less than enthusiastically. He takes a few strides forward to the middle of a clearing and then raises his fist. He then throws it forward and his fist hits something invisible as he bangs on it a few times.

About a minute later an opening appears as what was an invisible door opens and standing there is a dark haired woman.

Clark gives her a smile. "Hello Inza."

The woman smiles back. "Hello Clark."

"This is Buffy," Clark says introducing Buffy who is crouched down at his side.

Inza nods in her direction but says nothing.

"Is he home?" Clark asks Inza.

"Of course. He has been...

"Expecting me," Clark finishes. "I had a feeling he would be." Clark turns to Buffy and holds his hand out. "Come on Buffy. It's alright. This is the home of a friend."

Buffy reaches up and takes his hand and Clark leads her inside what is an entire tower hidden from mortal eyes by a cloak of magic. They walk up a staircase which distorts and shimmers and shifts left and right.

"Your aura is lighter than last time we met," Inza comments to Clark comparing how she sensed his aura the last time they met to now.

"I have finally come to accept what happened and grieve as I should have done before," he explains. "Inza. I need to apologise for my behaviour when we met before."

"You do not," she assures him.

"Yes I do. You tried to help me. You and your husband and I threw it back in your faces," he says with much regret over his actions.

* * *

**Flashback.**

Clark finds himself sitting down in a stingy alley in some town whose name he never bothered to find out. He was in Afghanistan trying to find answers. Trying to find out how people go on when they have lost everything.

How long had it been since he lost her Clark wonders to himself as he runs his hand through his ever increasingly thick beard. He had stopped shaving. How long had it been since he lost her?

Clark reaches into his inside pocket of his jacket and pulls out the pencil drawing he made of his daughter. He traces every line of her face with his fingers and stray tears leak down his face before he forces them back.

He still can't let go of his grief but at least he is hurting unlike the little Miss heartless bitch that use to be his fiancée...and what is he thinking?

Clark shakes his head. He doesn't know where that thought came from. He doesn't know where a lot of his thoughts seem to come from lately. It is like there is a tiny little voice in his head whispering dark thoughts to him. After all she wasn't heartless exactly. Totally irrational yes. Making totally unfounded accusations yes. It was like she didn't know him at all which is why she is now his ex and it is going to stay that way.

3 months. That how long it has been. 3 months of searching for answers. 3 months of being chased all over the place by Oliver and his band of merry men. He swears that if they don't leave him alone he is going to...

Clark isn't sure what but it is going to be unpleasant...for them.

He looks at the drawing in his hand once more. "I am so sorry Karen. I failed you. I'm not fit to be your father so maybe it is best that you will never be. Perhaps it is better than having you grow up in that world Willow destroyed due to my failures." Clark had concluded that for that future world to end up as it did he must have screwed up rotten long before his actual death.

Clark's thought are interrupted by someone speaking to him. "There are many possible futures and we do not always know to which our actions will lead."

Clark turns his head to find in the alley with him is a man clad in blue tights with gold boots, gloves, cape and helmet. He rolls his eyes, puts Karen's picture away and gets to his feet. "Let me guess. Oliver sent you."

"Fate sent me," the man replies mysteriously.

"Yeah. Whatever," Clark says not really caring. "Take some advice. If you value your health leave me alone," Clark says with a dark threat clear in his tone.

"You may possess powers mortal men can only dream of Kal-El but your heart is as fragile as any man's. Your destiny can be subverted like any other man's by the darkness which preceded all others."

Clark shakes his head and lets out a small sad laugh. "Touching. Really," he says insincerely. He then zips forward and grabs this guy by the throat lifting him with ease off the ground. "Last chance," Clark warns him. "Leave while you still can."

The man says nothing. A strange golden light surrounds Clark and he can practically smell what it is. "Magic," he says with total distain. When the golden light clears Clark finds himself alone in some sort of sitting room filled with books on shelves that he can see from the titles relate to magic. There are red velvet couches and chairs with a small table at which a dark haired woman is pouring tea Clark tell it is by the smell. "Where am I?"

The woman looks up an smiles at him. "Salem, Massachusetts," she politely informs him. "You are in our home. My name is Inza and you have already met my husband Kent Nelson."

This whole place makes Clark's skin crawl. "Magic," he says once more with distain at the cause.

"Not a fan?" Inza guesses.

Clark growls deep in his chest.

Inza finishes pouring and holds the cup out to Clark. "Tea?" she queries of him.

Clark eyes it suspiciously and actually uses his vision to check that it is what she claims it is before deciding he is thirsty and takes it. Inza gestures at a seat. "Please sit. My husband will return shortly and we can talk about why you are here."

Clark sits down and starts to sip on the tea while his eyes do their best and fail to see anything beyond this room. He hates magic.

Inza exits the room and moves to another part of the tower where she finds her husband observing their guest by means of a magic mirror.

"He is in great pain," she says about their guest. It wasn't hard to miss. It was pouring off of him in overwhelming tidal waves.

"He must let it go. Otherwise his future and everyone else's will fall into darkness," he warns with dark foreboding. It was why he brought Clark here in the first place. "He stands on a tight-rope. If he falls we shall all fall with him. That must not happen," he tells his wife.

"Yet he may reach the end by himself," Inza points out if they are using the tight-rope analogy.

"As with all beings he must choose his path of his own free will. All I can do is make him the offer." He then vanishes into a glowing giant ankh and reappears in the sitting room via the same method.

Upon seeing his abductor again appear like that Clark shoots to his feet. "Who are you? Why did you bring me here?" Clark demands to know, his tone hostile.

"I am known as Dr Fate. I am a master of the mystic and magical arts and I was also gifted, or cursed depending on your view, with the ability to see someone's destiny. To see their future put simply."

"So what? You are some kind of fortune teller?" Clark says rudely. "Look I don't need to know my future. I've been there. I saw it. I die. What more is there to say about it?"

"There are many futures Clark."

"But not a single one that can hold what I have lost."

"Karen Summers-Kent as you knew her is lost forever," Fate admits. "That does not mean you are doomed to live out your days in loneliness, hurt, grief and pain."

"What do you want from me? Why am I here?"

"I do not welcome visitors often. I allow few guests into my home. Those that I do allow are here for one purpose."

"What purpose?"

"To rediscover that very thing. To rediscover their purpose in life after everything else they had has been taken away from them. We can help you Clark rediscover your true path. Let us."

"I don't need anyone's help," Clark says, his voice lowered as he tries to keep his temper from flaring up. He never asked to come here and he never asked for help. He doesn't need help. "I just want to be left alone."

"If that is what you want I cannot force you to stay. However be warned I can see the darkness surrounding you, choking you, subverting you off your path. Together we can rid you of it."

Clark's hand spasms and he crushes the cup in his hand to dust. "There is no we of any kind for me anymore. No partners of any sort. I'm done with it. I stand alone."

Under his helmet Fate can only look at the boy, and he is still only that in reality, with sympathy. He had hoped he would be more receptive but it seems that this is not the appropriate time. Fate opens a portal. "This will return you to where I found you," he informs Clark. Clark turns to leave. "We shall meet again Kal-El when that that you love the most needs balance to be restored."

Clark gazes at Fate for a few seconds a little puzzled before dismissing what he deems as the babbles of a slightly deluded man and walks into the portal.

* * *

**Back to the present.**

Clark finds himself once more walking into a familiar looking sitting room with a tea pot steaming and sitting on the table.

"I should apologise for that cup," Clark suddenly remembers back to crushing it.

Inza smiles kindly at him and lifts one off the table. "You mean this one. Remember we know magic and repairing a cup is simple."

Clark smiles back at her as he sits down on a couch and Buffy hops up next to him. Inza pours him a cup of tea which he takes gratefully. He has just about finished it when a familiar voice speaks.

"Inza always makes the best tea," a disembodied voice declares before with an ankh portal Fate appears in the room.

"You know you could always just walk into a room," Clark says dryly.

"I am glad your sense of humour has returned Kal-El."

"Me too," Clark admits. "I was fed up being depressed."

Fate holds his hand to his heart. "Yet pain lingers as it will do. As it always does when we lose something we cherish."

"I will never stop missing her," Clark says softly. He looks at Buffy and wonders if she even still remembers Karen. He gently pushes some of her hair aside off her face. He then turns back to Fate. "What did you mean by saying she is out of balance?" Clark asks referencing to the last words Fate spoke to him before.

"Sleep," Fate commands and Buffy nods off right there and then. Clark is surprised. "Willow couldn't manage to do that," he remarks.

"Your friend still has much to learn and in this place, my home, my powers are at their zenith."

"Ok but before I ask why I have to know how did I know where to come to get here?" he asks because all he knew was that the tower was in Salem but he didn't know exactly where yet he flew straight to the spot.

"Once someone has been here they can always find their way back," Fate says somewhat cryptically.

Clark is not going to ask for details. It is no doubt just something to do with magic. "And Buffy?" he asks as to why Fate put her to sleep.

"You must go on a journey to help her. One you must travel alone and without you in her current state she is...difficult."

Clark couldn't argue with that either. Buffy was difficult and he was the only one who could keep her calm. "So what is this journey?" he asks Fate.

"Follow me," Fate requests of Clark who stands up and follows Fate out of the sitting room and up more stairs to another room where a huge mirror hangs on one wall. Fate steps up to it, mutters a few words and the mirror fogs over. "Behold how Buffy Summers came to be what she is now."

Clark frowns slightly and steps forward. The fog in the mirror fades away to reveal Buffy in a cave with...is that Camille?

It is Camille lying on the floor. The two of them surrounded by 3 men. Clark watches on as the while scene plays out between Buffy and the Shadow Men from the moment she appeared in the cave to the choice she was offered.

_"What is your choice?" Buffy is asked for the last time. Accept the offer of more slayer power or standby as it is given to Camille._

"_I accept," Buffy decides hoping she has made the right choice._

Clark's eyes widen as he watches. "She didn't," he whispers in disbelief.

"She did," Fate has to confirm for Clark. "Watch," he commands.

_The Shadow Men chant the spell. "__Sha me-en-den. Gesh-toog me-en-den. Zee me-en-den. Oo-khush-ta me-ool-lee-a ba-ab-tum-mu-de-en."_

Translated it means 'We are heart. We are mind. We are spirit. From the raging storm We bring the power of the Primeval One.'

_The wooden box lid slides open and the black mist like substance flows across the cave. Buffy closes her eyes and braces herself. She can feel it when it touches her skin. It is so cold and horrible and then it is penetrating her skin through her pores it feels like anyway. Power surges through her veins. Instincts rise to the surface. The thrill of the hunt...of the kill. She can feel..._

_Sineya!_

_Sineya, the First Slayer. She is alive inside Buffy and every other slayer always._

_Buffy opens her eyes to find herself standing in that place where Sineya lives within her. In the desert and there looking back at her is Sineya in her ragged leather clothes and white paint on her face._

_Sineya forces 3 words of English from her lips. "We...are...one!" She then leaps at Buffy and merges into her. Buffy throws her head back as her form warps and shifts. Her clothing shimmers until she is dressed as Sineya was. White paint scrawls across her face and when Buffy's eyes open once more they are luminous yellow._

The image in the mirror fogs back over once more. "Buffy's essence has been subsumed by the power of the First Slayer within. Opening the box gave Sineya's spirit strength magnified many times over allowing her to now be the dominant one within Buffy's psyche. Before there was balance. Buffy Summers, the human, was dominant. Sineya was merely the source of her supernatural strength. She was nothing but a whisper, an echo, at the back of Buffy's mind," Fate explains.

"But it is still Buffy," Clark argues. "She knows me, she knows her friends."

"Buffy Summers still exists because her spirit is strong. A lesser being would be nothing but a mindless killer by now. No better than the demons they hunt."

Clark shakes his head. "I can't believe she agreed to that. She must have known..."

"She knew or she suspected at least what would occur. She made what she thought was the correct choice. Simply put she thought it better than she receive the power rather than the one called Camille."

Trouble was Clark could not argue with that. "How do I help her?"

"By going on a journey. One you must make alone. I cannot help you beyond opening the door to where it is you have to go."

Clark will do whatever it takes to help Buffy. He turns to face Fate. "What journey?"

* * *

Meanwhile Willow along with Chloe and Xander are in Zatanna's room while she wanders around essentially feeling for something. She stops in front of a shelf with some books on them.

"Found something Will?" Xander asks her.

"Oh definitely," she says her eyes open wide in disbelief. She pulls an old looking book off the shelf. "Do you know how long I've been looking for this book? They said there were no more copies left."

"That's nice Will but honey focus please," Chloe requests of her.

Willow puts the book back and continues her search. She nears a jewellery box on the dressing table and picks up a...vibration would be the closest description. This is what she was looking for. Something that has a magical connection to Zatanna. A connection that can be followed. Willow opens the box and sorts through the varying bits inside looking for the one she wants. She touches a broach...ah ha this is it!

Now all Willow needs is a seer.

"Alright I'm here! I'm here!" said seer announces her arrival. "This had better be really good Willow. I had to cancel a hair appointment."

Willow snorts out a laugh. After all these years she never changes. "Nice to see you too Cordelia and is the fact one of our allies is missing as per arrangement of Ethan Rayne good enough reason."

"Oh good Lord!" Cordy complains. "The anti-Giles is back? Does no-one stay dead anymore?"

"Have you looked in a mirror lately Cordy?" Xander asks her rhetorically since she came back from the dead.

Cordy fixes Xander a glare. "Yes I have actually although god knows what the flight over has done to me but nice of you to arrange the private jet. I'll give you kudos for that."

"Thank Oliver," Chloe points out. "It is his jet although I won't be thanking him any time soon. In fact I'm thinking of killing him in the most painful way imaginable."

"Why?" Cordy asks the blonde.

"He dumped my cousin...by phone and hooked up with someone else about..." Chloe puts on the show of looking at her watch. "Ooh 5 minutes later. Maybe 10 if I'm being generous."

"Right. Well give me 5 minutes to sort this thing with Willow out and I'll help you with the planning," Cordy offers. Cordy looks at Willow. "So come on then. Why am I here?"

Willow throws the broach to Cordy. "Here. Catch!"

Cordy does so and the second she does the vision screams into her mind. She sees a brunette young girl lost...alone...confused...soaked to her skin. She talks to a waitress in a diner. She has no memory of who she is or where she is. She glances down at a table. There is a newspaper someone has left behind. It's title is 'The Gotham Gazette'.

The vision ends and Cordy is back in the real world breathing a little hard. "Gotham. She's in Gotham." Cordy places her hand to her head as her slayer healing takes a minute to soothe her headache. She gathers herself back together.

"If she is in Gotham why hasn't she called or just come home?" Chloe asks.

"She has no memory. It's been wiped," Cordy replies.

"Did you see anything else?" Chloe asks because Gotham is a big place and some narrowing down would be good.

"She was in a diner."

Chloe rubs her temple as a headache slams into it. "Do you know how many diners there are in a city the size of Gotham?"

"Don't blame me," Cordy says. "I can only work with what I'm given."

"We'll need an army to search the city."

Xander shakes his head. "Yeah shame we don't have one of those. What would we give for an army of super-powered girls?" he laments theatrically. Of course they have one of those.

Cordy rolls her eyes. "Xander you're not that funny," she tells him off. She can't believe she dated him.

Chloe sighs at the suggestion. "Yeah. Fraid it is not that simple. Not with **his** city."

"Who?" Cordy asks.

"Batman. He really hates it when people intrude in his city."

"Batman's real?" Cordy asks completely surprised by that revelation. Sure she had heard rumours. Who hadn't.

"Very real and very territorial. Not to mention cranky. I mean seriously I went there with Oliver once for this really minor mission. 5 minutes after we get there **he **appears in my hotel room being all intimidating and threatening which really doesn't work on a gal who has faced down super-powered invulnerable god-like aliens. Basically the guy's a jerk."

Chloe lets out another sigh. "I better tell Oliver so he can make contact and we can get this search started. The sooner the better right."

Chloe can see the stress vein on Oliver's forehead pulse as she tells him what Cordy saw. Oliver really doesn't need this. Bruce will go apoplectic on him. Well he better get this over with. Off to Gotham they go.

* * *

Searching is a theme not only for Clark searching to help Buffy and the gang physically searching for Zatanna. Another man searching, for answers this time, is Lex Luthor. Or should that be searching for more answers. He had been awoken by his rescue squad to find his facility in flames and him only having a vague recollection of a fight with Green Arrow's motley crew.

Lex couldn't help but think he was missing something. A lot of something. For example he can remember the alien being there but Lex can't recall what the alien looked like really. The details of the face seem to be missing from his mind. And there was something else. Something involving...teenage girls? Is that right?

No. It is not right. Something else must have happened. Something he can't remember or has been taken from him. In either case Lex swears to find the truth of the matter and then make those responsible pay.

Lex gets up from his chair in his office in the Moscow branch of Lexcorp and goes to look out the window. His team of meta-humans had failed miserably against Green Arrow's team. He can remember that much and as a result Lex had already fired their instructors and was having a new set of instructors hired so that next time he and Green Arrow cross paths the outcome will be very different.

There is a knock on his door. "Come in Mercy," he instructs the only person he knows would dare disturb him.

Lex's personal assistant/bodyguard Tess Mercer aka Mercy enters the room and strolls elegantly to his desk.

"What have you got to report?" Lex asks her without turning to look at her.

"The initial findings on what remained of Metallo," she reports.

"Go on."

"Before the explosion and subsequent fire he had already been attacked by something."

Lex arches an eyebrow. "Some...thing?" he queries. That was too vague for his liking.

"There were gashes in the flesh that look like they were made by human hand but no normal human could have done it and its head was literally ripped off its body," she clarifies.

Lex turns and walks to his desk where Mercy hands over the report for him to read. Lex skims through it. "It seems flesh is the weakness here," he concludes.

"Mr Luthor?" Mercy queries not quite following.

"All the metal reinforcements held without any damage. It was where it was attached to the flesh that it tore away," he points out from what he read. Lex thinks on it for a moment or two. "What is the status of the brain?" he asks Mercy.

"We managed to save it," Mercy tells him in reference to Metallo's brain.

"Flesh is the weakness Mercy so we shall remove it. I want Metallo completely redesigned with a entirely robotic body," Lex orders.

Mercy bows slightly in obedience. "Anything you wish Mr Luthor."

* * *

Searching. She had spent months searching for the means to extract her revenge on Buffy and how does it end for her. How does it end for Camille?

Dying in the middle of Siberia. When she woke up Camille found not only Buffy gone but her slayer powers too. Buffy had done it to her again. Camille did the only thing she could do at that point. Make good her escape but that was 2 days ago. 2 days walking across the wilderness in the cold. No food. No water. No hope. No chance of her revenge.

Camille continues to walk each step more difficult than the last until she can't quite pick her foot up and she trips falling flat on her face. This is it she guesses. This is how her life ends. She closes her eyes and awaits for oblivion.

Camille then hears what sounds like footsteps so she forces her eyes open to find standing over her a towering female figure with pale, almost white, skin and white hair. "Who-who are you?"

"I am Cythonna. Tell me Camille do you wish to be strong again?"

"H-how?" Camille asks. How did she know her name?

"To me your thoughts are so simple to read. I can see your life Camille. See the injustices inflicted upon you. Feel your desire for revenge and I can give you the chance for revenge. I can restore to you your strength."

"What do you want in return?" Camille asks knowing stuff like this is never free.

"Your loyalty. Your pledge to serve me unquestioningly. Your worship in me as your one and only God." Cythonna then watches as the girl thinks it over. One of her followers had contacted her. One who worked in the destroyed facility. Her followers are in many places these days and for each one who converts her power grows. Soon, very soon, she will have power enough to crush Kal-El and subjugate this world but back as to how she is here now. Her follower had told her that Kal-El was here but by the time she reached this place the facility was destroyed and Kal-El gone. It seems her search for Rao's Last Son must continue for a little longer.

"Yes," Camille whispers having made her choice.

Cythonna bends down. "What was that child?"

"Yes. I will serve you...my Goddess."

Cythonna smiles and places her hand on Camille's back. She closes her eyes and pours a tiny portion of her power into the fallen slayer. Camille's screams can be heard miles away.

* * *

"Step into the mirror and your journey shall begin," Fate tells Clark after explaining to him what he must do. He must journey into Buffy's psyche. Find that place he saw where Sineya and Buffy became one and somehow pull Buffy apart from Sineya. Although how he was to do it was the question. All Fate would say is that on his journey he will find the means he seeks. So not cryptic or anything.

Clark takes a deep breath and steps into the mirror. Fate stands and waits. It is all he can do now. Clark still walks the tight-rope but he nears the end of this part of his journey. He has not fallen as Fate feared he might when last they met but still the last greatest obstacle remains and even Fate does not know the outcome. All he can do is hope and pray.

For Clark at first fog clouds his vision but as it clears he starts to see sun and blue sky. Clark finds himself standing on a pavement opposite a school and as he sees its name he quickly comes to realise it is not just any school. It is "Sunnydale High?"

* * *

_Author's Note: I felt that it wasn't quite time for Camille's journey to end just yet hence why I had Cythonna save her. She shall return to get another whack at Buffy assuming Clark manages to save Buffy from what she has become. I brought in Dr Fate because really having Willow able to do almost anything makes true her statement that she would be God which is the one thing she doesn't want to become. Poor Lois. That Oliver is a cad which is more in keeping with his character from the comics. God knows why Black Canary puts up with him let alone married him. Anyway thanks to everyone who wrote review. Next up: The Journey._


	61. Part 4 Chapter 15: The Journey I

Chapter 15: The Journey I

"Sure you don't want to come with Riley?" Xander asks the soldier who had been staying at Oliver's mansion while he recovered from his concussion.

Riley knew all about the mission to Gotham but his answer is "No. I just want to go see Sam," he says, his voice showing how much he misses his wife.

"I understand," Xander tells him.

"Why are you going?" Riley asks him.

Xander shrugs slightly. "She's an ally. She was helping us out and she went missing during a mission. Would you leave a man behind?"

Riley shakes his head. "No but I mean vigilantes in costumes. Aliens, residents of Atlantis...meta-humans...is that the phrase?"

Xander nods. "Yeah I think that is what they like to call themselves."

"I feel like I've fallen into a comic book," Riley gives his honest appraisal of the situation he finds himself in. "I just feel like it is time I go home and reassess a few aspects of my life."

"I get it," Xander says in understanding.

Riley currently stands in the gardens of the mansion looking out at it. For so long it has been mission after mission. Then the Initiative fell and he found himself a bit rudderless without the structure of military life. It is part of the reason why when they asked him he went back to the military. He had agreed to help Buffy with Lex Luthor but that was now over so this is the best time for him to just take a break and think over where his life goes next. Maybe the time has come for him and Sam to start that family they talked about a couple of times. Maybe the time has come for him to start out on a new journey for his life.

In any case he needs to be with Sam and think these things through so he picks up his bag and takes the first step to wherever this journey will lead him.

* * *

"Sunnydale High?" Clark can't help but repeat. He knows Buffy attended this school but he can't be in Sunnydale. It was destroyed. This is Buffy's psyche Clark knows but why does it look like this?

He then feels someone bump into him and he frowns slightly. He turns to see whoever it is and finds himself looking into familiar emerald green eyes but these belong to a girl who can't be more than 16 he thinks. Clark looks harder and you take away the years of hardship, of fighting the worse things imaginable and you would get the form standing in front of him.

Buffy.

Or Buffy as she was nearing 10 years ago.

"I'm like totally sorry," that Buffy says to him sounding more Valley Girl-esque than Clark has ever heard her sound. He wonders if this is same act she puts on when he knew her or if it started out real and became an act.

"It's fine," he tells her and in response she smiles brightly. More brightly than he has ever seen Buffy smile. Whenever he saw her smile it wouldn't quite reach the heights the one in front of him has. Again Clark guesses this is before life wore Buffy down.

Buffy looks this guy up and down a few times. "Um are you a teacher here?" she asks him.

Clark shakes his head. "No."

'Too bad,' Buffy thinks to herself because he was total eye candy. 6 foot plus of total muscled gorgeousness with these dreamy blue eyes and he had his hair in a way where a single curly lock flopped over his forehead. Buffy has a real strong desire to reach up and run her hand through it. She holds her hand out to him. "Buffy Summers," she introduces herself.

Clark takes the hand back. "Clark Kent."

Buffy arches her eyebrow at the strength of his grip because she was no normal 16 year old. She was a vampire slayer, a role she was no longer interested in carrying out. Not since her Watcher Merrick was killed. Anyway like she was thinking she is a vampire slayer meaning she is really pretty strong so for her to feel his hand shake the way she is must mean this guy is pretty strong too as in abnormally so but he is out in the day in the sunlight so that rules out vampire. Buffy guesses she is just imagining it. After all he is built like a linebacker.

Just then the bell rings. "Well I have to go," Buffy tells him. "Wouldn't want to be late on my first day."

As she runs off she waves at him and Clark waves back before she runs into the building. 'Ok now that was weird,' Clark thinks to himself. If he is essentially in Buffy's head then these are her memories yet he just interacted with her like he was actually here. He looks up to the sky. "You know a little more instruction would have been nice," he complains not knowing whether Fate can hear him or not because Clark has no idea what is going on or what he is suppose to do.

* * *

"You know I've been meaning to ask you something G-Man," Faith says to Giles. They were standing outside Oliver's mansion waiting for the others so they could get this show on the road. Faith kind of felt she needed to help find Zatanna before heading back to Scotland.

Giles pushes his glasses up his nose. "Ask me what Faith?"

"You took it real personal when you learned Zatanna was missing."

The question becomes obvious. Why did he take it so personal. "I knew her father. He was a close friend," Giles tells Faith. This was the reason he was going to help look for her.

"Was?" Faith queries at the past tense.

"He died many years ago," Giles says regretfully. "In his day though he was one of the most powerful sorcerers I ever knew and one day I am certain Zatanna will be a great sorceress. It is in her blood as a Homo Magi."

"A what?"

"Homo Magi," Giles repeats. "You know humans scientific designation is Homo Sapiens correct?"

"Um...sort of but that kind of thing ain't my speciality subject," Faith warns him sensing one of Giles lectures coming up where she will only understand every other word.

"Homo Magi are a separate species of human. One born with the natural ability to channel magical energy," Giles explains.

"Never knew that," Faith admits.

"No you wouldn't. It is not something that is advertised for the same reason we keep ourselves secret from the world."

"So we aren't all burned at the stake right?"

"Well I think perhaps civilisation has moved beyond burning people at the stake Faith."

Faiths snorts. "Don't kid yourself there G-Man. Take it from someone who has been there. People are assholes and cruel, vindictive ones at that."

"Perhaps," Giles might concede. "But if we use you as an example you have proven just how far people can journey when they set their mind to a better way. All people need is an example to follow and you can be pleasantly surprised by them."

"Forgive me if I don't hold my breath," Faith says somewhat sarcastically, not having as much Faith as Giles seems to have.

* * *

Back with Clark and he has been watching Buffy's first day at school in the way only he can watch someone. For now all he can think of to do is watch her and hope some inspiration strikes at to what he is meant to do. Right now he is watching and listening as Buffy has what seems to be her first ever meeting with Giles. It doesn't go so well.

The world then ripples around him. The sun shifts position in the sky and Clark can tell he has jumped forward in time. He takes a few seconds to find Buffy once more, where she is at this precise moment breaking into the gym inside which there is a dead boy under a sheet. Buffy pulls the sheet back and spots two marks on the boy's neck.

"Oh great," she grumbles unhappily. Buffy hastily makes her way to the library and barges in. "Okay, what's the sitch?" she demands to know.

Giles is amongst the stacks of books. "Sorry?" he asks her completely lost at what she is on about.

"You heard about the dead guy, right? The dead guy in the locker?"

Giles steps into the light in full view of Buffy. "Yes."

Buffy drops her bag on the study table and heads up the stairs. "'Cause, it's the weirdest thing. He's got two little, little holes in his neck, and all his blood's been drained." She meets up with Giles. "Isn't that bizarre? Aren't you just going, 'ooh'?"

Clark can't stop the smile forming. Buffy it seems never changes.

"I was afraid of this," Giles says with a sigh.

"Well, **I** wasn't! It's my first day! I was afraid that I was gonna be behind in all my classes, that I wouldn't make any friends, that I would have last month's hair. I didn't think there'd be vampires on campus. And I don't care," she says in one of her one day to be famous babbles.

"Then why are you here?" Giles asks pointedly.

Because she does care Clark knew the truth to be.

"To tell you that... I don't care, which... I don't," she says not sounding all that convinced herself. "And... have now told you, so... bye." Buffy turns to leave.

"Is he, w-will he... rise again?" Giles asks stopping Buffy who turns back around.

"Who?" she asks.

"The boy," Giles clarifies.

"No. He's just dead," she says in that clinical way when she is trying not to let it show that she cares or that it touches her.

"Can you be sure?" Giles asks wishing to be sure.

"To make you a vampire they have to suck your blood. And then you have to suck their blood. It's like a whole big sucking thing. Mostly they're just gonna kill you. Why am I still talking to you?" Buffy turns and goes down the stairs.

Giles moves over to the railing. " You really have no idea what's going on, do you? You think it's coincidence, your being here? That boy was just the beginning," he warns her.

"Oh, why can't you people just leave me alone?" Buffy asks utterly frustrated and annoyed.

"Because you are the Slayer." Giles makes his way down the stairs reciting "Into each generation a Slayer is born, one girl in all the world, a Chosen One, one born with the strength and skill to hunt-"

Buffy interrupts him and joins in. "With the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, to stop the spread of their evil blah, blah, blah... I've heard it, okay?"

"I really don't understand this attitude. You, you've accepted your duty, you, you've slain vampires before..."

"Yeah, and I've both been there and done that, and I'm moving on."

"What do you know about this town?" Giles asks as he goes into his office.

"It's two hours on the freeway from Neiman Marcus?" Buffy quips dryly.

Giles ignores that. "Dig a bit in the history of this place. You'll find a, a steady stream of fairly odd occurrences. Now, I believe this whole area is a centre of mystical energy..," He comes back with four books. "that things gravitate towards it that, that, that you might not find elsewhere. He sets the books on the table.

"Like vampires," Buffy assumes.

Giles puts the huge volumes into Buffy's arms one by one as he lists off various monsters and demons. "Like zombies, werewolves, incubi, succubi, everything you've ever dreaded was under your bed, but told yourself couldn't be by the light of day. They're all real!"

"What? You, like, sent away for the Time-Life series?"

"Ah, w-w-w-yes."

"Did you get the free phone?"

"Um, the calendar."

"Cool!"

At that it is all Clark can do to stop himself laughing his head off.

Buffy continues completely oblivious that her conversation is being overheard. "But, okay..," she gives back the books, "first of all, I'm a Vampire Slayer." Emphasis on the 'Vampire'. "And secondly, I'm retired."

'Retired?' Clark never knew that. Buffy never told him that.

"Hey, I know! Why don't you kill 'em?" Buffy suggests to Giles.

Giles is a little off-put at that suggestion. "I-I'm a Watcher, I-I haven't the skill..."

"Oh, come on, stake through the heart, a little sunlight... It's like falling off a log."

"A, a Slayer slays, a Watcher-"

"Watches?"

"Yes. No!" He sets down the books. "He, he trains her, he, he, he prepares her-," Giles tries to explain his role.

"Prepares me for what? For getting kicked out of school? For losing all of my friends? For having to spend all of my time fighting for my life and never getting to tell anyone because I might endanger them? Go ahead! Prepare me." The anger pouring off Buffy by now is palpable.

They just look at each other for a moment. Buffy exhales, turns and leaves the library in disgust. Giles hesitates for an instant.

"Damn!" Giles mutters to himself. He runs after Buffy. At which point Xander walks out from behind the stacks.

"What?" Xander can't help but say at everything he just heard.

So that's how Xander found out Clark has just learned. He has also just learned something he never knew. That Buffy resented being a slayer. Resented that it took away her chance for a normal life. He can sympathise. When he was that age he felt the same about his powers and his heritage. That it stole away any chance for him to have a normal life.

Giles and Buffy have another brief conversation in the hallway where he tries to warn her that something, what he has no idea, is coming and that it is no coincidence that Buffy moved into town.

After that conversation ends Giles heads back into the library with a shake of his head. By now Xander has skedaddled. As Giles enters the library there is a strange gust of wind that blows his hair about.

"That didn't go so well," a voice wryly observes.

Giles looks up to see a tall young man dressed in black shirt, jeans, boots and duster standing in the library his arms folded across his chest. "I-I don't know what you mean and this is school property so you better leave before I call the police."

An amused expression comes to Clark's face. "You do that and then we can tell them how you work for an organisation called the Watcher's Council, Buffy is a Vampire Slayer and that all the things they think are nightmares are real."

Giles is completely caught off-guard. "Who are you?"

"A friend. One that needs some advice and you are the smartest man I know around here to ask advice from."

"I think we better talk in my office," Giles suggests. He heads into his office and Clark follows him. Upon entering it Giles flashes a wooden cross at him. Clark quirks an eyebrow and takes the cross from Giles. "Not a vampire. Besides it is daytime if you will recall."

Clark tosses the cross back to Giles. "Sorry. I had to be sure." Giles sits himself down and gather his thoughts together. "So what is it you need advice on Mr...?"

"Kent. Clark Kent but just call me Clark."

"Clark. Sit please," Giles offers gesturing at the seat office. "So if I may ask what are you? Some kind of hunter?" Giles guesses from what this man seems to know.

"I'm...unique," Clark decides to go with.

"So what is it you need?" Giles asks him.

"Advice. Like I said."

"With what?"

"A friend of mine has embarked on a journey into the psyche of the woman he loves because her spirit is out of balance. Now all he was told by the mystic who transported him was that he would find the means to help her once he was inside. Once inside the friend found that he could interact with the people of this woman's memories as if they were real. Now it occurs to him that if he could do that then he could also perhaps change events that are going to happen but since this all in the woman's mind wouldn't that end up changing the person she is? That being the case what is this friend suppose to be doing in finding a way to re-balance her spirit?"

Giles takes a few moments to absorb that and habitually takes his glasses off and cleans them. He had heard of such journeys. They were rare and he had never undertaken or seen one of the ceremonies himself. He replaces his glasses. "What your friend is searching for is the qualities, the moments that define this woman. These are then used to remind her essentially of who she is allowing her true self to re-emerge from whatever imbalance has befallen her."

"So I'm...he is just meant to watch and not interfere?"

Giles notes the slip but lets it pass. "You can't change the eventual outcome of what are only memories but you can talk to the people that occupy her psyche, the woman herself and learn what you did not know before." Giles lets a moment pass for the young man to absorb that before speaking again. "Now Clark. Let me ask you a question. You are not speaking hypothetically are you?"

Clark shakes his head. "No."

"And you are the one embarking on this journey?"

Clark nods. "Yes."

"Whose psyche am I part of?" Giles asks realising what he is.

"Buffy's."

Giles looks Clark over and tries to gauge his age and therefore Buffy's possible age. "She is still alive?" he asks because slayers lives tended to be short and violent.

"Yes. From this perspective she, I and you won't meet for another 7 years and right now is at least 9 years off."

"I see."

"I have to help her. I have to...save her," Clark tells Giles.

"She means a lot to you," Giles observes.

"She means everything. I love her."

"Then I pray you find the means to help her. Observe closely Clark. Learn what you did not know before. You shall need it when you reach your journey's end and confront whatever force has unbalanced Buffy's spirit."

The world ripples around Clark once more. It is now dark and Buffy is walking down the street and she is being followed by...Angel?

There is a little altercation which ends with Angel cryptically warning her about something called the Harvest, that she cannot escpae her calling and giving her a box containing a silver cross.

Buffy looks to where that guy left and looks down at the cross in her hand for several seconds still debating with herself whether to put it on or not.

"Nice cross."

Buffy spins round on the spot to find..what was his name again? Oh yeah Clark. She finds Clark standing behind her. "Gee what is it with people sneaking up on me tonight?" she complains.

"Sorry," Clark says rather sheepishly.

"So what is this? Gang up on Buffy and think they can break her resolve? I'm not going back to it. I just want to be left alone."

"Trust me I know the feeling. When I was your age I just wanted the same."

"Oh really?" Buffy asks sceptically.

"Yes. Really. Look here's how it was. I was 16 and an orphan. I had been raised by my adoptive parents. Life was good. I had just gotten together with the girl I liked. Then one day my biological father shows up and demands I leave with him because I have some destiny to fulfil. To cut a long story short I basically told him I wasn't having it because I already had the life I wanted. That I just wanted to be left alone essentially."

Buffy looks up into his eyes and can see the sincerity. She knows he is telling the truth and that he does understand. "So you really don't work for...them?"

Clark shakes his head. "Nope. Can I ask you a question?"

Buffy shrugs. "Knock yourself out."

"Why did you retire?"

Buffy's eyes widen. "You heard that?"

Clark nods. "I have very good hearing," is the explanation he chooses to give.

"Then you know why. It ruined my life. Cost me all my friends. I was arrested by the police for burning down the school for what? Saving all their lives from things I can never tell anyone about! No. I have had enough. I'm not going back to it."

Clark smiles. "Yes you are," he contradicts her.

"No. I'm not," she says most assuredly.

"Yes you are," Clark insists. "Because you care. You care about what will happen to people if you aren't there to save them. You care that innocent lives are being lost. If you didn't care you would never have gone to see Giles in the first place."

Buffy wants to tell him he's wrong and to shove it up where the sun don't shine but she can't because he is right. People are dying already. If she doesn't do something more people will die. Buffy looks at the cross in her hand once more.

"Here allow me," Clark offers as he steps forward, takes the chain and delicately attaches it around her neck and she doesn't even attempt to stop him.

Where Clark's warm fingers, and they are most certainly warm, delicately brush against her skin Buffy can feel goosebumps rise. Buffy takes his left hand into her own hands and moves her finger to the pulse point and she can feel his pulse beat strongly under her touch. So definitely alive then. She looks up into his breathtaking blue eyes. "Who are you?" she asks in a whisper.

"Someone who cares about you," is what Clark chooses to answer with. "Now you should get going to the club. Otherwise that outfit will go to waste."

Buffy's lips curl up into a smile. "It so totally would. Wouldn't it."

Clark brushes his hand gently against her cheek. "Yes it would," he says softly. Buffy closes her eyes for a second to enjoy the sensation. Then there is a gust of wind which blows her hair about and when she opens her eyes Clark is gone.

Buffy lets out a sigh. What a night. Weird meetings with two different guys. It begs the question. "Why do I always attract the dark, mysterious stranger types?"

* * *

_Author's Note: You may have noticed that I lifted one or two scenes from Welcome to the Hellmouth. I thought that if Clark is on a journey through Buffy's head it should start where Buffy's journey essentially started; on her first day at school. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up: The Journey continues in Part 2._


	62. Part 4 Chapter 16: The Journey II

Chapter 16: The Journey II

"So let me see if I've got this straight," Cordy says as Oliver's jet glides into Gotham airport carrying the whole gang including herself. She had been brought up to speed on everything and was just summarising it to make sure she hadn't missed anything. "You, Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor all went to the same school. Lex became a megalomaniac billionaire who in his spare time conjures up weird freaky cyborgs for what purposes we don't know. You became a Robin Hood wannabe vigilante and Bruce Wayne dresses up like a bat and scares the bejesus out of criminals. That about right?"

"Not quite," Oliver says since he would not phrase it like that.

"Ok I have to ask was there something funny in the water because that is kind of seriously disturbing and I went to Sunnydale High so I know disturbing."

"Why are you here?" Oliver asks Cordy.

"Because I'm vision girl and I...I just can't ignore what I see and do nothing." Cordy's voice has a soft genuine tone to it by the end there.

"Well just don't insist on coming along to see Bruce," Oliver cautions her. "He is going to be prickly enough as is and it is better that I see him first on my own."

Soon enough Oliver finds himself standing outside the door to Wayne manor waiting for the door to be answered. Soon enough the door is opened by a middle aged man, Bruce's butler Alfred Pennyworth. "Evening Alfred. Is he home? It's urgent."

"Master Queen. Pleasure to see you again," Alfred greets him and he shows Oliver inside. Alfred leads Oliver to a study where Alfred moves to a grandfather clock and pulls one of the weights inside which triggers the clock to slide open revealing a secret passage.

Oliver follows Alfred down the staircase, down until it opens up into a huge cave. Bruce really takes this creature of the night thing too far in Oliver's opinion. He finds Bruce with his back to him sitting in a chair working at this giant workstation with monitors and computers.

"Why are you here Oliver?" Bruce asks him without turning round.

"It's about Zee. She's missing."

Bruce spins round in the chair and on his normally emotionless face Oliver can see the definite signs of worry. Huh. Guess Bruce is still carrying that torch for Zee after all.

* * *

Clark continues to skip his way through Buffy's early life. He had watched her leave the club called the Bronze to rescue Xander, Willow and a boy he had never met before called Jessie after they were taken by vampires to this mausoleum. This is where he learns something. That Giles point about him being unable to change outcomes was true. He had seen Buffy attacked by this really quite big vampire and his natural instincts had kicked in and he tried to save her except he couldn't. His body became insubstantial, non-corporeal, like he was a ghost or something and no-one could see him so in many ways he is hating it. If he has to endure watching the woman he loves get beaten up and hurt he is going to get pretty darn annoyed to put it mildly.

Time skips forward again and Buffy is back in the library only with Willow and Xander while Giles explains to them the truth of the world after they were kidnapped and almost eaten by vampires giving him little choice.

After that conversation Buffy sneaks out of school to look for the boy named Jessie. She actually leaps over the fence to do it. She lands on the other side in a crouch.

"So skipping school huh?"

Buffy looks up to find Clark has returned. She stands up straight. "A boy needs my help," she says plainly as she walks rapidly towards the mausoleum she was at last night. She notices the ease with which Clark walks beside her.

"And you care," Clark says knowingly.

"Where the hell do you vanish off to because you know I could have really used some help last night."

Clark apologises. "I couldn't help you. I'm not allowed."

"Not allowed by whom?"

"Fate."

"Oh gee now that's not cryptic or anything," Buffy says sarcastically.

"I'm sorry," Clark says again. "I did try but as I said I can't."

"What are you?" Buffy asks him. "Cause I know you're not a vampire being out in the sun and all but you're not human either. No human can pull that disappearing trick you did last night."

Clark smiles. Buffy was always cleverer than she lets on. "No. I'm not human and lets just leave it at that for now."

Buffy rolls her eyes. "You're as bad as the other guy. You two conspiring to drive me nuts or something?"

"No. He and I...we're not working together. We're here for different reasons. It just happens to be at the same time." Or at least that is the best explanation Clark can concoct on the hoof.

"So complete coincidence then?"

"Yes as strange as that probably sounds."

"So why are you here?"

"I'm looking for the way to restore balance to that which I love the most."

"Cryptic make Buffy's brain hurt."

Clark chuckles at that. "Sorry but really you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

They reach the cemetery and the mausoleum and as they near it Clark can literally feel his body lose its cohesion like it did before. "This is as far I can go," he tells her.

Buffy turns her head and can see he has become see through, like a ghost. "What is happening to you?"

"I'm not allowed to help you with what's in there but you don't need my help."

"Wish I could be certain of that."

"You should be," Clark assures her.

"Why?"

"Because you're Buffy...the Vampire Slayer."

'Ooh. Catchy,' Buffy thinks to herself. "So um will I see you around?"

Clark smiles lopsidedly. "I'm always around even if you may not always see me."

'Wow does he have an unbelievably gorgeous smile,' Buffy thinks as she turns back towards the mausoleum so she can save Jessie.

Clark watches Buffy go inside, have a conversation with Angel who is there and then spot Xander who he knew had been following her since she left the school. As he watches her wander through the tunnels Clark is really starting to hate this a lot. He can see the vampires and can see Buffy and Xander are walking into a trap and he can do nothing as they try and make their escape once they realise this.

Down below Buffy mentally curses herself for walking into what was so obviously a trap as she crawls through a ventilation shaft that leads to a manhole. She makes sure Xander gets out first. She knows he is going to have issues now with his friend turned into a vamp and all. She climbs out and is just about out when a vampire grabs her ankle and tries to yank her back.

"Xander. Pull!" she shouts at him as he has her hand. Buffy then feels another hand grab her wrist and pull her up with an almighty yank. So much she goes soaring into the air before two strong arms wrap around her waist and pull her close to this hard, chiselled body. She looks up to find herself staring into two blue eyes full of worry and care. "You alright?" Clark asks her.

Buffy needs a moment to get her brain to function as it processes the feeling of being held so close to this perfect male specimen. "Um yeah. Thanks but what happened to not being allowed to help?"

Clark shrugs. "Rules can be bent. Sometimes they can be broken. I think this is one of these bending moments. You had practically escaped anyway." He then strokes some of her hair off her face gently and inhales her scent. He knows he really shouldn't be doing this but he just can't help it. It has been so long since he held Buffy this close to him.

The moment is ruined by Xander coughing. "Um. Hello! Introductions would be nice."

Clark lets Buffy go. She takes a few steps back and lets out a breath. That was really something...she felt...she doesn't know what but her body is certainly warmer than it was.

"Another day," Clark decides in reaction to Xander. "You two had better get going back to school." Then from Buffy and Xander's point of view Clark vanishes with a gust of wind.

Xander looks at Buffy awaiting an explanation. "It's a whole cryptic thing I don't have a handle on yet but he's right. We need to get back."

Once more the world ripples and Clark finds it is night-time and he finds Buffy in her house putting on a large leather jacket. Huh. Now that's certainly something he has never seen Buffy in. What follows next is a rather heated conversation between Buffy and her mother.

"Buffy?" Joyce queries as she enters the room and sees Buffy.

"Mom!" Buffy says in surprise not expecting her mother and not wanting to because she can't give an explanation on what she is about to do.

"You're going out?"

"I have to."

"I didn't hear you come in last night."

"I was really quiet."

"It's happening again, isn't it?" Joyce asks of her daughter, fear present in her tone that events are repeating herself. The events that got Buffy kicked out of her last school. "I got a call from your new principal. Says you missed some classes today?"

"I was running an errand," Buffy says vaguely as an explanation.

"We haven't finished unpacking, and I'm getting calls from the principal," she says sounding quite upset.

"Mom, I promise, it is **not** gonna be like before." Buffy has no wish to go through all that again anymore than her mother. "But I **have** to go," she says insistently.

"No," Joyce says simply.

"Mom?"

"The tapes all say I should get used to saying it. No," she says in reference to the self-help tapes she has been listening to giving advice on raising children

"This is really, really important," Buffy tries to make her mother understand without telling her.

"I know. If you don't go out it'll be the end of the world. Everything is life or death when you're a sixteen-year-old girl," Joyce says without realising the irony of her words.

If only her mother knew half the truth Buffy thinks to herself. "Look, I don't have time to talk about this..."

Joyce cuts her daughter off. "Buffy, you've got all the time in the world, you're not going anywhere. Now, if you wanna stay up here and sulk, I won't hold it against you. But if you wanna come down, I'll make us some dinner." She then leaves the room, pulling the door closed behind her.

Buffy can't believe that has just happened. She leans against the closet door, takes a deep breath and exhales. Then she turns and opens the closet again and pulls out a large chest. It has a flat box in it full of her stuff. She lifts out the box to reveal what's underneath. Stakes, crosses, garlic, bottles of holy water. She pulls a bunch out and puts it in her sports bag. She takes a particularly sharp stake and conceals it in her jacket sleeve. She closes the chest, zips the bag closed and goes over to her door to make sure her mother isn't nearby. Then she grabs the bag, slides it out of the window onto the roof and climbs out after it.

Buffy leaps down from the roof only to be caught in familiar strong arms. She looks up to find those blue eyes looking at her again. Clark places her down on the ground gently.

"Your mother doesn't know what you are does she," Clark has come to realise from that conversation.

Buffy retrieves her bag. "No and she is never going to know. She doesn't want to know. No normal person would."

Buffy starts to walk off heading to the Bronze where she will attempt to stop the Harvest and save the world. Clark walks beside her.

"Why not?" Clark asks interested. This was something he didn't know about Buffy. Buffy's mother was dead before he met Buffy.

Buffy actually laughs at that. "Oh yeah. I can see that conversation going well. Mom just to let you know I'm a Vampire Slayer and every night I go out and fight legions of the undead. She would have me committed more likely than believe me and even if she did believe me...what would she think of me considering what I am."

"It wouldn't change who you are. You're her daughter."

"Ok don't take this the wrong way but you really can't understand."

"Actually I can. Remember I told you I was adopted and my parents are perfectly human. Doesn't mean they loved me any less just because I'm not."

Buffy throws him a curious glance. "Did they always know?" she asks.

"From the day they found me."

"Found you?"

"In a field. Their truck had turned over and I just wandered up to it while they were hanging upside down so my mom tells the story."

"Um how did they know because you look...do you really look like that?"

"Yes I really look like this. The differences are internal and as for how they knew..." Clark pauses. Throwing in the alien bit might be a bit too much right now so he'll use something else that happened. "My parents were out of the truck wondering what to do when I, knowing that it shouldn't be upside down, decided to fix it."

"Fix it how?"

"I picked it up and flipped it the right way up."

Buffy's eyebrows rise up. "Just like that?" she queries at the way he made it sound so easy.

"Just like that," he confirms for her.

A thought occurs to Buffy. "How old were you?"

"3...I think."

"3! You could lift a truck at 3! I can't lift a truck!"

"Quirk of fate," Clark says calmly.

Buffy frowns and gets back to the subject this conversation started on. "It doesn't change a basic truth. My mother doesn't want to know and I don't want to ruin the illusion for her that the world is a perfectly safe rational place. People who know...they always end up hurt."

"And you don't want your mother hurt," Clark says stating the obvious.

"Back there...just because she and I...she is still my mother."

"And you love her and want to protect her. That I can understand. Trust me there are a few things I have experienced I haven't told my mother about and almost certainly never will. It's bad enough I have nightmares about them. She doesn't need to have them too."

He really does understand Buffy realises. He even has the nightmares that go with...this. She checks her watch. "Dammit," she mutters. She is going to be late.

"What?"

"I'm late to meet up with the others."

Clark moves and picks her up. "Just tell me where to go."

"Um the Bronze. You know where that is?"

Clark nods. He has been following her about. The next thing Buffy knows is that the world blurs around her and then a few seconds later she is being put back down around the corner from the Bronze.

Ok. Wow! That's a word that springs to Buffy's mind. That was amazing.

"It's better that your friends don't see me," he explains as to why he has stopped here. "It would require too much story telling and like before I doubt I will be able to help you."

Buffy nods and turns to meet up with Giles, Willow and Xander. She then stops and looks at him. "One day I am going to want the whole truth from you," she gently warns him because she still knows next to nothing about him.

"And one day I promise you'll get it," he assures her. Clark then watches her walk away and meet up with the gang before they realise that they are too late and that this Harvest has begun. Clark can see and hear people dying but knows he can't do anything because it has already happened. These are Buffy's memories. Doesn't mean he feels it any less though.

When he spots Buffy trying to find another way because the door to the club is locked in he decides he might be able to help her. He zips off to a back alley and gently places her hands around her waist. "Want a boost?" he asks her as he can see she is planning to go in an upper window. He then throws her gently up the correct height where she clambers onto the ledge.

"Thanks," she says looking down at him. "Got any advice?"

"Yeah. Stop the bad guy. Save the world," he says with a goofy smile lighting up his face.

"Oh. Wow. Gee. Would never have thought of that," she says with a joky light-heated sarcasm before she smashes in the window and goes to save the world.

Clark watches on as Buffy tricks the vampire into thinking it is daytime with a lamp and then jams a stake into his heart. Not a very bright bad guy. The other vampires then make a run from it past Angel who is concealed behind some crates. "She did it! I'll be damned!" he says in some surprise that she succeeded.

"You're cursed. That is kind of the same thing isn't it."

Angel spins round to find a tall man dressed in black standing behind him. Angel looks him up and down and catches his scent. "You're not human."

"Says the vampire with the soul."

Angel is a little wary of how this...whatever he is knows so much.

"So let me ask you a question Angel. Why didn't you help her in there?"

"It's not my fight."

"In humans I can tell they are lying by the fact their heart rate increases. In you it is the lack of sincerity in your voice."

"What do you know about me?"

"Only what I heard stories about. Angelus. The Scourge of Europe until he killed a gypsy girl whose family cursed him by restoring his soul so he would feel guilt for his crimes. That about right?"

"Stories don't tell half of the horrors of what I did. They also don't say that by restoring my soul doesn't make the monster inside me go away. It is always there clawing to get out."

"And you're afraid to do something that might...open the door for it to escape," Clark comes to understand.

"Yes," Angel will admit. That is exactly what he is afraid of.

"We all have darkness inside us," Clark points out.

"You cannot even begin to understand the atrocities I committed," Angel tells him.

"No and you cannot even begin to imagine the destruction I am capable of bringing. If I was to say I had the power to level cities would you believe me?"

Angel doesn't hear a lie in the tone of voice yet...can anything have that kind of power?

"I didn't think so but I assure you I can. Millions of people and I can kill them in a virtual instant and I have to live everyday knowing I can do that. I have to live everyday with the temptation that having that kind of power brings and resisting it because I promised myself only to use my power to help."

"You didn't help her either," Angel points out.

"I'm not allowed," is Clark's reply.

"Not allowed by whom?"

Clark manages a small laugh at that. Angel sounds a bit like Buffy there although different to the Angel he has met. The Angel here seems so much less sure of himself. Clark wonders what changed him. Perhaps that is something Clark is here to learn about as well. As for Angel's question Clark gives Angel the same answer he gave Buffy. "Fate." Then he vanishes leaving a puzzled Angel trying to work out how he did that.

Time as it passes in Buffy's psyche continues its random skip forward to the start of school the following Monday where Buffy, Giles, Xander and Willow make comment about how people can dismiss what they saw as they walk along.

"People have a tendency to rationalize what they can and forget what they can't," Giles surmises it.

"Believe me, I've seen it happen," Buffy tells them.

"Well, I'll never forget it, none of it," Willow says.

"Good!" Giles says somewhat delighted. "Next time you'll be prepared."

"Next time?" Xander asks.

"Next time is why?" Willow asks.

"We've prevented the Master from freeing himself and opening the Mouth of Hell. That's not to say he's going to stop trying. I'd say the fun is just beginning," Giles tells them.

"More vampires?" Willow inquiries.

They stop walking.

"Not just vampires. The next threat we face may be something quite different," Giles points out.

"I can hardly wait!" Buffy says with mock enthusiasm which makes Clark smile as he watches on. He has missed that Buffy these last several months.

"We're at the centre of a mystical convergence here. We may, in fact, stand between the Earth and its total destruction," Giles informs them.

"Well, I gotta look on the bright side. Maybe I can still get kicked out of school!" Buffy jokes. That makes Clark chuckle.

The three students continue to class. Giles stays behind and watches them go.

"Oh, yeah, that's a plan. 'Cause lots of schools aren't on Hellmouths," Xander says.

"Maybe you could blow something up," Willow suggests. "They're really strict about that."

"I was thinking of a more subtle approach, y'know, like excessive not studying," Buffy says as her suggestion

Giles turns to go back to his library muttering "The Earth is doomed!"

Of course Clark knows it isn't. Well not at the minute but there is still Cythonna to deal with as soon as he completes his journey here. This...what he is seeing is just Buffy's life playing out. Clark guesses he will get to where he needs to go as soon as he figures out what it is he is suppose to learn about Buffy he didn't already know. True he has already learned a couple of things but would he call them her defining moments?

Honestly Clark is not sure. He will simply have to continue this particular journey although he knows that he is going to see stuff he is certain he won't like but he'll endure it. He has to. He'll do whatever it takes to save Buffy.

* * *

_Author's Note: Couple of interesting scenes in the Harvest I wanted to include, especially the one between Buffy and her mother. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up: Part 3 where Clark will see what happened when Buffy confronted her death at the hands of the Master in Prophesy Girl. I think that counts as a defining moment in her life._


	63. Part 4 Chapter 17: The Journey III

Chapter 17: The Journey III

"Sweet digs!" Bart comments with a whistle as the entire gang consisting of Bart, Victor, AC, Dinah, Cordy, Giles, Faith, Xander, Willow and Chloe enter Wayne Manor.

"Yes. Quite," is Alfred's comment to that.

Bruce shoots Oliver a glare with a scowl on top for bringing all these people to his city. The only reason he is allowing it at all is because it is Zee. "Where's the Blur?" Bruce asks Oliver bluntly noticing easily which one was missing. It also had not been too hard to link Metropolis' new hero with Oliver's newest addition.

"Busy," Oliver says curtly giving Bruce a taste of his own medicine.

It takes some time for everyone to get settled while Chloe rolls out a map of Gotham on the table on which she has drawn lines splitting the city up. "The best way to go about this," she announces, "is to split up into pairs and take different parts of the city searching for the diner Cordelia saw in her vision."

"I work alone," Bruce says gruffly.

Cordy rolls her eyes. "Sheesh what is it with you men playing the lone dark brooding hero. You know that isn't as attractive as you think it is."

"Says the woman dating the former brooding vampire with a soul," Xander dryly quips.

"He isn't as bad as he use to be. I've been a positive influence on him," Cordy boasts. Positive in more ways than one she likes to think.

"Riiiggghhhttt," Xander draws out the word. "Of course you have," he adds with a sarcastic tone.

"Is that doubt in your voice Harris?"

"No. Of course not Cordy. How could I possibly have any doubt in you whatsoever?"

"Dude when someone looks like she does you don't ever doubt that," Bart says flirtatiously while shooting Cordy his best grin.

Cordy rolls her eyes and shakes her head at the lameness of it all.

"Like you would actually have any experience with that," AC says casting deliberately doubt on Bart's skill with the ladies.

"I have plenty of experience with that," Bart protests. "I'll have you know I had to blow off a date to come here."

"Uh huh," Victor says sceptically. "What was her name?"

"Mandy...no Margaret...no...um well it started with M."

From there it quickly degenerates as everyone puts in their two cents. Bruce shoots a look at Oliver at the chaos he has brought. "Welcome to my world," Oliver mutters sarcastically as a truly stupendous headache hits him.

* * *

As the events in Buffy's past continue to play out for Clark to see he has noted a few things like Dawn or the lack of her. Now Buffy told him about the false memories of Dawn she received but in this version she isn't here...well not really. He spotted Dawn once or twice but it was more like a ghostly image of Dawn...an echo of something that shouldn't be here. Clark wonders if this is a side effect of whatever spell Fate used to send him here or if Buffy somehow managed to separate what was real and what was fake.

It has been incredibly uncomfortable for him watching the growing romance between Buffy and Angel. He knew this was coming but it still didn't make it any easier. Buffy had told him while skating around certain details. Frankly who wants to know the details of what your current partner got up to with their ex. Not him and he thinks most people probably wouldn't want to know either.

That of course assumes Buffy is his current partner. They never did get a chance to sort any of that out but they will as soon as Clark figures out how to help her. Though he has to wonder if her biting him, marking him, claiming him as hers counts as them starting up their relationship again. He'll ask her once this is over...assuming she remembers any of it. Gee are their lives messed up Clark thinks to himself...but that is a discussion for later. Back to his current predicament.

Right now Clark is watching Buffy fight a vampire, the third one tonight. It manages to grab her and throw her so she lands hard on her back in a parking lot. Buffy lets out a breath as the vampire leaps to stand over her. She is just about to get back up when the vampire goes up in flames and turns to dust. Besides the thought of how strangely pretty that was she wonders just what in the hell happened there. Her question seems to be answered when a certain blue-eyed man who has been popping in and out of her life for the last several months appears standing over her offering his hand.

Buffy takes it and Clark helps her to his feet. Since his body kept its cohesion Clark decided that this was one of those rule bending moments so he chose to help her out. "You alright?" he asks her.

Buffy gives her shoulder a quick rub. "Yeah. Thanks for...whatever you did there."

Clark shrugs. It wasn't like he did all that much really. Quick blast of heat vision and goodbye vampire.

Buffy checks her hand. "Oh come on!" she complains loudly.

"What?"

"I broke a nail!"

Clark laughs. He can't stop himself. She fights 3 vampires in one night and what really upsets her is that she broke a nail.

Buffy punches Clark in the shoulder for him laughing at her serious issue. It is something she quickly regrets. "Ow!"

Clark quickly takes her hand and rubs it. "Sorry. Should have moved," he says apologetically.

"What the hell are you made of?" Buffy asks him because there was still so much she didn't know about him.

"Flesh and bone like you. My body is just denser and generates an electromagnetic field that greatly increases the resistance of my cells to any kind of damage."

"Huh?"

"Basically I'm invulnerable."

"Now that is just..."

What was about to be Buffy's complaint that that is unfair on her is interrupted when the ground starts shaking setting off all the car alarms. Buffy actually stumbles a bit right into Clark's arms as he catches her and that little shiver runs up her spine.

'Dammit!' she thinks to herself. She is in a...well she guesses you call it a relationship with Angel. She doesn't need the issue of another guy who can set her heart a racing by the simple feeling of being in his arms...no matter how muscle-y they might be and good lord are they muscle-y. She knows this for certain because as he caught her her hand ended up resting on his bicep giving her ample time and opportunity to feel how muscle-y they are and hard she might add. He feels like he is made of granite.

Once the ground stops shaking Clark asks Buffy "You ok?"

Buffy takes a few deliberate steps back, away from him and reigns her hormones in. "Sure." She then turns around and starts walking. She was meant to meet up with Will and Xander. Clark quickly moves to her side. "You know when are we ever going to get to the truth about yourself that you promised me once?" she asks him.

Clark frowns slightly. For whatever reason that has not come up since she first mentioned it at the start of this journey. He says what he has a strange feeling he is suppose to say. "Soon but not right now."

"I've said it before and I'll say it right now. Cryptic make Buffy's brain hurt."

Clark chuckles.

"You know I don't think we've really talked since..."

"Since you found out Angel was a vampire and the whole thing with Darla. I know but like I said you may not always see me."

Buffy eyes him curiously. Since then when they did talk he seemed slightly distant and uncomfortable. It makes her think...does Clark have feelings for her because she so doesn't need that.

"She hit on me you know."

"Who did what now?"

"Darla. She hit on me." Clark was wandering around a cemetery collecting his thoughts, yeah not his best idea he knows to be in a cemetery, when he bumped into Darla all dressed up like a catholic school girl and like he said she hit on him.

"Ok now that is creepy," Buffy comments.

"You're telling me. Vampires make my skin crawl...no offence to Angel," he adds at the end.

"You know I don't think I've ever asked you if there is someone special in your life."

"There was. There is."

Ok now that is just plain confusing. "Which is it?" she asks him.

"There is someone but awhile back we separated and...I still love her and want to try to patch it back up but...stuff keeps getting in the way."

"Stuff like why you keep popping in and out of my life?"

"I told you why I am here."

"You did?" she asks confusedly. "Oh right. You did. Something about restoring balance to what you love the most," she recalls.

Clark nods. "Yes."

"Still confused," she has to say like her mind won't quite put it together.

"Like that is ever going to change," Clark quips with a smile and in response Buffy elbows him in the ribs with a smile of her own. Vampires aside this night has not be so bad really. She always enjoys Clark's company. When he is around she feels like he is suppose to be there...by her side.

* * *

For Clark time soon continues its skip forward to the following night where he Buffy is just cleaning up after gym when she uses the faucet to find blood pouring out of it. This inevitably leads her to the library where Giles and Angel are discussing something.

Buffy enters the library and speaks...to herself as it turn out. "Giles, you are not gonna believe this."

She stops when she can't see Giles but she hears him talking and looks into his office and can see only him.

"It's clear. It's what's gonna happen. Uh, it's happening now!" Giles says seemingly to himself until Angel moves into the light to read the book Giles has laid out on the table.

"Angel?" Buffy queries and she takes some steps towards the office.

"It can't be. You've gotta be wrong," Angel says refusing to believe what it is Giles has told him.

"I've checked it against all my other volumes. It's very real," Giles says wishing he was wrong.

Buffy stops at the door.

"Well, there's gotta be some way around it," Angel tells Giles.

"Listen. Some prophecies are, are a bit dodgy. They're, they're mutable. Buffy herself has, has thwarted them time and time again, but this is the Codex. There is nothing in it that does not come to pass."

"Then you're reading it wrong," Angel says refusing to believe it.

"I wish to God I were! But it's very plain! Tomorrow night Buffy will face the Master, and she will die."

Buffy is stunned by that revelation. Clark watching on is too. He hadn't realised that they had reached this point. Buffy had told him about what transpired with the Master but he had no idea that it would be here so soon. There is no way in hell he can watch this. He can't watch Buffy fight and die. Oh he knows she won't stay dead but still...right now he wishes he had control over the way time jumps.

Back in the office Clark watches Angel still try to see if there is a way out of this. It is so obvious Angel is in love with Buffy by this point and she has changed him since he made that observation about how less sure of himself Angel was back at the start. Yeah. Buffy does that. You fall helplessly in love with her and that love changes you forever.

"Well, have you verified the text?" Angel asks Giles.

Buffy begins to laugh. Angel and Giles see her and exchange a look. She slowly starts to walk away from the office door. Angel comes out of the office after her. She stops by the table and faces them. Giles stands in his office doorway. "So that's it, huh? I remember the drill. One Slayer dies, next one's called! Wonder who she is." She looks at Giles. "Will you train her? Or will they send someone else?"

"Buffy, I..." Giles struggles to find words to say to her.

"They say how he's gonna kill me? Do you think it'll hurt?" Tears are flowing freely from her eyes. Angel tries to hug her, but she puts up her hands and quickly steps away. Watching this is breaking Clark's heart.

"Don't touch me!" Buffy yells at Angel. "Were you even gonna tell me?" Buffy asks Giles sounding hurt that he has been keeping it secret from her.

"I was hoping that I wouldn't have to. That there was... some way around it. I..."

"I've got a way around it. I quit!"

"It's not that simple," Angel tries to caution her in what could be the stupidest thing to say Clark has ever heard and Clark knows stupid. He has spewed it from his lips many a time.

"I'm making it that simple! I quit! I resign, I-I'm fired, you can find someone else to stop the Master from taking over!"

"I'm not sure that anyone else can. All the... the signs indicate..." Giles stutters badly.

"The signs?" Buffy throws a book at him. "READ ME THE SIGNS!" She throws another book. "TELL ME MY FORTUNE! YOU'RE SO USEFUL SITTING HERE WITH ALL YOUR BOOKS! YOU'RE REALLY A LOTTA HELP!" she shouts in her frustration and anger and fear.

"No, I don't suppose I am," Giles says sounding as he feels; useless.

"I know this is hard," Angel tries to comfort her.

"What do you know about this? You're never gonna die!"

"You think I want anything to happen to you? Do you think I could stand it?" he asks her rhetorically. He loves her too much. The thought she might die is terrible to him. "We just gotta figure out a way..."

Buffy cuts him off. "I already did. I quit, remember? Pay attention!"

"Buffy, if the Master rises..." Giles starts to say.

Buffy yanks the cross from her neck. "I don't care!" she yells before she calms herself down. "I don't care. Giles, I'm sixteen years old. I don't wanna die."

Giles is at a loss what further he can say. Buffy throws her cross down on the table. Angel doesn't know what to say either as she walks out of the library without looking back.

Buffy is soon running out of the school and as far away as she can get from this. Tears start flowing from her eyes once more almost blinding her so she doesn't see what it is she runs into but she knows the feel of the arms as they wrap around her. "I don't wanna die," she sobs.

Clark holds her tightly. "I know," he whispers. He kisses the top of her head. "It'll be alright," he promises her.

"How can it be?" she asks between her tears. "You heard them right? I'm destined to die!"

"The future is not set in stone. Time can be rewritten...shaped by our force of will. I know because I've seen a future that can no longer come to pass." This is both a lie and a truth at the same time. The future can be changed but Buffy's immediate future cannot because this is only her memories playing out and she is going to die.

Clark rubs her back as her tears ease off.

"Can you die?" she asks him.

"I can be killed. I have been...but it didn't stick."

"What was it like? Death?"

"You know those stories of a white light and seeing your loved ones?"

"Uh huh."

"Not stories."

"That doesn't sound so bad."

"No. It's not."

Buffy pulls out of Clark's arms and wipes her tears from her face. "Some great big brave slayer am I. Crying like that."

"Everyone cries," Clark gently points out.

"I don't suppose you have any advice on what I am suppose to do."

"I...can't," Clark says. After all what can he say. He doesn't want to have to watch this but he can't do anything to stop it. All Clark can think of to say next is something supportive yet not really advisory. "I trust that in the end you know what you have to do." Clark then steps forward and lifts her into his arms. "I'll take you home."

Then in a blur they vanish.

* * *

Night turns into the next day and the bloodshed increases as the rising of the Master approaches. The students of the audio-visual club are slain and Buffy comforts Willow. Seeing her friend so broken up over what she saw only confirms what Buffy had really known deep down that she has to do. Prophesy or no prophesy she is the Slayer and it is up to her to stop things like this...to stop creatures like the Master. She never asked for it but here she is. She is the only one with the power to do it.

So Buffy heads back to the library, knocks Giles out before he suicidally attempts to take on the Master, retrieves her cross and picks up a crossbow all the while dressed up in the prom dress her mother bought her. She steps out of the library and turns the corner to find Clark standing in the corridor his face pinched with emotion and pain. "If you've come to talk me out of it don't bother," she flatly tells him.

Clark shakes his head sadly. "No. I haven't. I will say that you are a far better person than I Buffy Summers."

"What?" she asks somewhat puzzled.

"When I was your age all I wanted to be was normal."

"That is all I want too."

"But still here you are off to confront the Master when you know what will happen. Me...I ran away from my responsibilities...literally. When my destiny came calling I ran away from home, ran away as far as I thought I needed to be to avoid it. Took years before I finally accepted what is was I was meant to do." It is a truthful and harsh assessment of Clark's teenage years. One he had to make while he was up in the Fortress training.

"What caused you to finally accept it?" Buffy asks him.

Clark smiles slightly. "It might sound clichéd but I met a girl." He means Buffy when she appeared in Smallville. "Cute little blond girl who had had a much harsher life than me but kept on fighting the good fight. I thought I should try and live up to her example."

Buffy's eyebrows knit together. If she didn't know better she would think he was referring to her but she doesn't have time to dwell on this. "I have to go," she tells him as she marches past him.

"Kal-El of Krypton."

Buffy stops dead and turns to look at him. "What?"

"You wanted to know who I was. I am Kal-El, sole survivor of the planet Krypton." Before Buffy can process that fully Clark strides towards her, cups her cheek and gently kisses her full on the lips.

Buffy closes her eyes and melts for the several seconds Clark's lips are touching hers. Then there is a gust of wind and when she opens her eyes he is gone. She doesn't dwell on his disappearance though. Determination anew flows through her being as she turns round, marches out of the school and confronts her destiny.

Events proceed as they always did, as they always will. Buffy goes to fight the Master fulfilling a prophecy she could have stopped by simply not going to fight him as for the Master to leave someone, namely her, had to enter his prison. She dies as was prophised. Xander shows up and gives her CPR bringing Buffy back from the dead. Round two with the Master ends with her tossing him through the library skylight impaling him on a piece of wood on the table. His flesh turns to dust leaving only his skeleton.

The whole gang, Cordelia included, stand around the Master's remains.

"The vampires?" Giles asks in reference to the hoard of vampire that were trying to kill them.

"Gone," Cordelia answers

"The Master?" Angel inquires.

"Dead. The Hellmouth is closed," Giles tells him. "Buffy... Buffy?"

Buffy looks at Giles still a little...she doesn't know. How is one meant to feel when they return after being murdered. "Oh, sorry It's just been a really weird day," she says managing a little smile at her own joke.

"Yeah! Buffy died, and everything!" Xander informs them all.

"Wow! Harsh," Willow says.

"I should have known that wouldn't stop you," Giles says in a wry comment.

Buffy smiles up at him at his rare joke.

"Well, what do we do now?" Ms. Calendar asks.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd like to get out of this place. I don't like the library very much anymore," Giles says.

"Hey! I hear there's a dance at the Bronze tonight. Could be fun," Xander suggests.

"Yeah!" Cordelia says in agreement.

"Buffy?" Willow inquiries.

"Sure! We saved the world. I say we party!" She looks down at her dress. "I mean, I got all pretty."

"And what about him?" Ms Calendar says indicating the Master.

Buffy looks at the Master. "He's not going anywhere. Loser."

They all start to go and chatter. Buffy trails the group.

"I'm not dancing, though," Giles says to Jenny.

"We'll see," Ms Calendar says looking forward to the challenge of trying to get him dancing.

"You can come with us, Angel," Willow makes the offer to the souled vampire.

"I'm hungry," Buffy says a little out of tune and a little out of sorts with everyone.

"So what's the story with the car?" Xander asks in reference to Cordelia's beat up car they passed earlier.

"Oh, that was me, saving the day!" Cordelia says proudly when she Willow and Ms Calendar from vampires.

Willow continues her conversation with Angel seemingly oblivious to the other one taking place. "Get something to drink," she suggests to Angel.

"Is anybody else hungry?" Buffy asks still on her own little track.

"Well, no, don't do that. Just hang," Willow says to Angel when he says nothing back to her.

"I'm really, really hungry," Buffy says. Is that normal when one comes back from the dead she wonders.

Angel hangs back with Buffy. "By the way, I really like your dress," he says to her.

"Yeah, yeah. Big hit with everyone," Buffy says somewhat sarcastically. Once they get outside the school she spots another figure in black standing partially out of sight behind a tree. "Go with the others. I'll catch up," she tells Angel who frowns as he spots where she is heading off to.

Buffy nears the tree. "Hey," she says softly.

Clark steps out into full view. "Hey yourself," he says softly in response. "How was dying?"

"Were you really hungry afterwards?" she has to ask him. "Cause I'm starved."

Clark smiles. "I tend to eat enough for several people normally so it is hard to judge."

"So..."

"So?"

"You're an alien?"

"Yep."

"And you are all alone?"

"Not alone per say. I have friends, my adopted mother is still alive but there are no others of my species left so in that sense I am alone."

"And you wait until I am about to die to tell me this?"

Clark shrugs. "Seemed like a good time."

Buffy shakes her head. "There is like so much stuff that doesn't make sense."

"I know but if I told you everything it would ruin my air of mystery," he jokes.

Buffy snorts out a laugh.

"It takes time," Clark says to her.

"What does?"

"Coming back from the dead. It takes time."

"I feel...different."

"I know," Clark says in a soft sympathetic tone of understanding. "You wonder if that feeling means you left some piece of yourself behind. In time you realise that while some piece of you has changed you are still who you always were."

"Why did you kiss me?" she asks him.

Apart from the fact he is madly in love with her and seeing her confront her death the way she did made him love her even more so what can he say? "A girl in a dress that pretty deserves to be kissed," he says with a little smirk.

Buffy rolls her eyes while Clark chuckles. He has never once seen her in a dress of any sort and the long white one she is wearing makes her look beautiful in all seriousness. Of course it is not really the type of thing he thinks Buffy would choose for herself.

"Mom bought it," she says in her defence.

"Your mother has excellent taste," Clark says slightly teasing. "Now you should go spend time with your friends instead of hanging out with the orphaned alien," he tells her.

Buffy turns to leave but stops. "You won't be a stranger right? I'll see you...around."

"I haven't found what I'm searching for yet so no I won't be a stranger and like I said to you before, I'm always around."

"That is corny!"

Clark shrugs. "I'm from Kansas. Corn is to be expected," he says in a completely perfect dead-pan.

Buffy doubles over at this point in laughter and she doesn't even know why. It isn't even that funny but she can't help herself. After everything she has gone through tonight she just needs this...release.

When she gains enough control back Buffy heads off to catch up with her friends and Clark watches her go. He may have power to move mountains but Buffy spirit is so much stronger than his. When he was her age it was like he said. He ran off to Metropolis doped up on red kryptonite. He was never proactive in saving people at that point in his life. He did it when he had to.

Buffy on the other hand. She is here every night fighting the nightmares of the darkness and going to fight even when she knew she would most likely die.

The difference between him and her.

That must be what he is here to discover Clark realises and discover it he will. His hand rises to his lips as he remembers what it felt like to kiss her after so very long. For someone who moves as fast as he can the 9 months since they last shared a kiss seem like an eternity and he wants to be able to kiss her, the her he knows and lost, and to do that he has to save her so he will endure witnessing whatever he must until he finds what he is looking for.

* * *

_Author's Note: Clark takes a step nearer the end of his journey. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up: The Journey part 4 where we'll dive into season 2 and Clark sees how Buffy loses everything in her battle with Angel._


	64. Part 4 Chapter 18: The Journey IV

Chapter 18: The Journey IV

"One more lousy diner and I kid you not Xand I'll go crazy," Faith complains to the partner she had been paired with as they exit yet another diner in their so far fruitless search for Zatanna.

"Don't you mean more crazy?" Xander queries.

"Not funny," Faith tells him.

"Whose joking?" Faith then oddly shivers which Xander notices and it isn't that cold. "You alright?"

"Of course. Five by five," Faith says in her nonchalant manner.

"Faith," Xander says insistently.

"It's nothing."

"And you use to be better at lying."

"It is just this place...this city. It is making my slayer senses a little nuts. It is like darkness is pouring off everything."

Xander is concerned about Faith. More than a little concerned actually mainly due to some feelings he has been developing for her. She has changed so much since he first knew her yet in some ways she is exactly the same. Since Renee died Faith has been there for him without fail. Oh she would never admit that is what she was doing but Xander sees so much more than people realise. Anyway all that hanging out together has been stirring up some feelings he had thought buried but what to do about that...Xander hadn't decided yet.

"Well I did some reading up on Gotham and its history isn't pretty. Might be enough to give even you nightmares and I guess the buildings retain an impression of it but for a more detailed analysis you would have to talk to Will. She knows more about that kind of stuff," he says to her.

"Shouldn't sell yourself short Xand. You're plenty smart in my book."

"Um thanks and why are we walking down the dark dingy alley when vamps are trailing us?" he asks Faith. The vamps who had been following them since they left the last diner. Why oh why did he agree to do this after dark and then let Faith lead him down an alley only God knows.

"There are only 3," Faith remarks lightly and not all that concerned.

"You are going to be the death of me Faith," Xander tells her while fishing out the stake he has kept on his person since he first met Buffy all those years ago.

Faith smirks. "Yeah maybe but what a way to go."

There was that good old suggestive tone Xander knows so well. In that way Faith definitely never changes.

Faith drags him suddenly into a doorway and waits. Vamps are so predictable. They continue right for them thinking that they have the advantage. Arrogance. A vamp's greatest weakness.

"Come out, come out wherever you are!" one of the vamps sing songs.

Faith steps out with that deliberate sway she adds to her hips. "3 on 1 huh? Well it has been awhile but I'm sure I can remember how," she says suggestively with that smirk that smoulders with sexuality.

The vamps advance on Faith right by Xander, barely noticing him not until he steps out behind one and shoves his stake through its heart. It is all the distraction Faith needs to move in like poetry in motion and catches the other 2 off guard. She roundhouse kicks one into the alley wall. It growls. "Slayer," it says in a hiss at the only thing she could be that possesses strength like that. It watches her take his fellow vampire apart, literally to dust, in seconds. It growls again, jumps to its feet and manages to grab the man round his neck. "One move Slayer and I break his neck," it tells her.

Faith hesitates. She has to be careful here. "You alright Xand?"

"Oh I'm just peachy," he manages to croak out from under the vamp's too tight grip around his neck.

The vampire backs up slowly taking Xander with him. "Here's how it goes. You let me leave and your friend here lives," he makes the offer to Faith.

"You must have me confused with someone else. I don't make deals or sleep with vamps. I, unlike certain people insinuate, have standards."

"I never insinuated any such thing," Xander says in his defence.

"I was talking about B," Faith corrects him.

"Oh right. Sorry."

The vampire just looks on in disbelief. "Hello! Threatening to snap neck like a chicken's here!"

Xander laughs. "Oh please. I've had Hell Gods threaten me so you are about as scary as Donald Duck."

"Well he is kind of creepy you know," Faith says in reference to Donald Duck. "I mean he never wore pants."

"You're right. What was up with that?"

"Who knows but any time you are ready Xand."

"Alright," Xander says as he ducks forward and spins round at the same time managing to spin the vamp attached to his neck round as well where Faith in one fluid motion strikes her stake home covering Xander in dust. He stands up straight coughing. "Thanks."

Faith steps forward and examines his neck very gently brushing her hand over it.

"Um Faith," Xander says in some confusion at what she is doing. He turns his head to look at her and spots something in her eye he hasn't seen in a long time. Before he can name it Faith decides that actions speak louder than words and that it is time she did what Clark suggested she do and admit her feelings for Xander. Faith pushes him up against the alley wall and proceeds to claim what she has been wanting for awhile now as her lips lock together with Xander's.

* * *

Life.

It's a funny thing.

Not a single straight or flat line.

No.

It is to use the commonly used phrase a roller-coaster. Full of breathtaking highs and unimaginable lows. Sometimes those two things can be literally within hours of each other.

A fact Clark has experienced himself. See day he decided to tell Lana about himself, she agreed to marry him, she died, he ended up turning back time and then he lost his father as proof.

A fact Clark has been forced to watch Buffy find out as Angel turned from the man she loved back into the monster he was.

Clark lets out a sigh with a heavy heart as he watches her cry up in her room on her bed the night after she stopped this demon called the Judge. He floats up to her window and taps gently on the glass.

Buffy looks up from her bed through her tears and sees Clark crouched next to her window. She gets up, moves to the window and slides it open.

"Look if company is the last thing you need I'll just go but if you need a shoulder to cry on I'm here," Clark makes the offer to her.

Buffy wipes a few of her tears off. "Do you actually need invited in?" she queries, wondering if he is like a vampire in that sense.

"No but it's rude to just barge in. My mother would have my hide."

That manages to get a very small smile out of Buffy who gestures for him to come in. Clark steps through her window and into her room. "Um nice room," he says somewhat lamely.

"Thanks," Buffy says as she goes to her bed and shifts Mr Gordo, her stuffed toy pig, aside. She sits down and pats the space next to her to indicate that Clark can sit there.

Clark sits next to Buffy and wraps an arm around her shoulders as she leans into him and rests her head against him. "It's not your fault," Clark tells her. "You couldn't have known," he says in reference to what happened for Angel to lose his soul.

Buffy screws her eyes shut as tears leak from them once more. "It hurts," she admits which is only an admission of the tiniest fraction of the pain she is feeling.

"I know," Clark says very softly. "I know."

"I love him," she says barely above a whisper.

That makes Clark's heart pinch slightly at hearing her admit to loving someone else but this is not about him so he ignores it. "There is nothing wrong in that. Love...love can inspire you to do things you could never have thought you could achieve."

"Now he'll use it against me," she says airing what Giles warned her earlier. That Angel...no not Angel. Angelus. Angelus will attempt to destroy everything that made him feel human.

"And you'll beat him because adversity can make you stronger. It forces you to search inside yourself for strength you never knew you had."

"Voice of aged wisdom?"

"Voice of bitter experience."

"How old are you anyway?" Buffy asks him. May seem an odd question at a time like this but she has never asked him that before.

"23."

"Going on forever right?" she guesses.

"Not entirely sure. Maybe. I'm definitely going to live long enough to see everyone I love grow old and die by at least several centuries but I try not to think about it."

"I should have killed him," Buffy says with a tad of disgust at herself for not killing Angel when she had the chance.

"It can be hard to let go of the image we build up of the people we love."

Buffy is caught by the strength of emotion in Clark's voice there. "One of those bitter experiences?"

Clark nods. "Yeah," he says very sadly.

"What happened?" she asks wanting something to focus her mind other than the unremitting pain of losing Angel.

"Oh there was this girl. The one literally next door in fact and I loved her or what I thought she stood for. As always the reality was very different from the image but I clung onto the image and ignored the reality for far far too long."

"How did it end?"

"She got turned into a vampire."

"Ouch! Sorry."

"It's ok," Clark assures her. "I grieved. I'll always care for her and pray that she is in a far better place."

"The vampire version of her? What happened?"

Clark avoids the details. "What tends to happen when you stick a sharp piece of wood into their hearts."

"Ah."

There is then a silence for several minutes where Clark tightens his hold on her a little just to let Buffy know that he is here for her.

The silence is broken when Buffy asks "How do you carry on?"

"At first you think you can't. Every day seems like an impossible struggle. Then it just starts to get easier. I know it may not see it now but it does get easier a little bit every day that passes. You will get through this Buffy. You have to believe that."

"I want to but..."

"I wish...I truly do that I could think of words that could take away your pain but I can't. All I can do is tell you that I know what you are going through, you will get through this and I'll be here for you whenever I can. When I can be here I'm not sure. It is in Fate's hand."

"Cryptic still make Buffy's brain hurt," she manages to say in an extremely weak joke but that is at least something.

Clark chuckles and plants a kiss on the top of her head. He stays with her until she falls asleep next to him when he picks her up and tucks her in bed. He brushes some of her hair off her face and plants another kiss on her forehead. "Happy Birthday Buffy. Sleep well."

The world ripples and time moves on...

* * *

Angelus moves silently through the night towards his destination. He finds it kind of funny how Buffy and her friends keep looking at him expecting to see...ugh Angel. That tosser is gone and it was so so simple. All he had to do was get laid. If Angelus had known that he would have spent the last 90 years whispering that in Angel's ear.

That's the difference really. Angel is so easy to get rid of. Angelus...he is always here. Angel would never admit that though. The soul could suppress him, imprison him but never get rid of him.

A smile comes to Angelus' lips as he nears his destination. Buffy's house. Let the tormenting continue. He silently climbs up to Buffy's bedroom window and there she is in her bed in sweet repose.

Angelus has to hold back the chuckle that is threatening to escape his chest. Buffy has no idea how many nights he has spent just sitting there watching her. She had forgotten that she invited...well Angel in but apparently that's close enough for him to enter at will. He could kill her at any time of course but where is the fun in that.

Besides he is a long way from finished with her. Only after he has torn down everything she is, everything she has will he end this game.

Angelus makes his move to slip inside when he is suddenly thrown clear off the roof and crashes down in the garden. He growls as he gets to his feet. Whoever did that is dead. He whips his head to look at the house and sees his assailant floating down to land in the garden. "Neat trick," Angelus comments not very impressed at the floating bit.

Clark folds his arms across his chest and stares Angel down. "You are going to leave now," he commands.

Angelus smiles amused. "Oh. Is that so?"

"Yes."

"And who are you exactly? Her Guardian angel?" Angelus mocks.

"Does not matter who I am but you are not harming her."

Angelus laughs. "Harm her? I don't want to harm her...well not quite yet."

Clark knows that the nature of this place means he can't do anything permanent to Angel but having to watch him torment Buffy has been working Clark's patience to the limit. "You know I heard the stories about you but they never reflect the real truth do they."

"Those stories never do me justice," Angelus says sounding almost insulted how his legend has been watered down.

"I can see that. You are a lot more pathetic than I thought you were."

Angelus' face darkens significantly. "Watch your tongue boy or I will rip it out."

Clark continues unconcerned by Angel's threat. "You know for some reason people seem to think I am somewhat naïve. That I can't see what is blindingly obvious and while perhaps there was a time that was true I like to think I've changed."

"Is there a point to this?"

"The point is I can see the truth. That for all your bravado, all your boasts deep down you are afraid of her."

"I fear nothing. Not even a slayer," Angelus growls out.

"I can hear the slight inflection in your voice that indicates otherwise because you know deep down it doesn't matter whatever scheme or torment you concoct for her. In the end you know that she will beat you."

Angelus' eyes narrow as he takes in the...not a man. Doesn't know what it is. He has to struggle for a moment to reign in the urge to rip this guy apart for what he said. He has a better way to get back at him. "Well since we sharing truths how about I share one with you."

Clark arches a single eyebrow. Oh this ought to be good. "And that is."

"You said that you had the power to level cities yet all you are doing is standing there protecting one pathetic human." Angelus chuckles. "If I had that kind of power I wouldn't be wasting it like you are."

"Oh I see. I should be levelling those cities should I. Have the masses screaming in terror at me or maybe have them bowing down at my feet worshipping me. Is that the kind of thing you mean?"

That's interesting Angelus thinks to himself. The fact this guy said that means he has thought about it which means there is darkness there.

Clark shrugs. "One problem with that idea."

"Oh and what is that?"

"If I destroy cities I would destroy all the pizza places and then where would I get pizza." A slightly mocking smile comes to Clark's face.

Ok. That's it. Angelus will not stand here and be mocked. He moves to attack Clark which from Clark's perspective is so slow he has ample time to roll his eyes at the stupidity. He sees Angelus throw a punch. Clark grabs the fist easily. "Take my advice Angel. Leave and don't come back. You are way out of your league."

Angelus tries to pull his fist back only to find he can't move it no matter how hard he tries to pull. He throws a left hook which Clark lets strike him. Angelus swears out loud at the pain as several bones his hand break.

Clark sighs, lets Angel's fist go and then backhands the vampire with a fraction of his strength sending Angel flying a good 10 feet.

Angelus gets back to his feet a little shakily and groggy. He shakes his head to clear it. "You can't stand there forever," he growls out in his anger.

"Why not?" Clark asks back rhetorically. "I don't need to eat or drink. I can go without sleep and...oh yeah I'm immortal so actually I can stand here forever." Ok so Clark isn't 100% certain he is immortal but Angel doesn't need to know that. And essentially as long as the yellow sun rises everyday to charge him he really can go without food and water. "Then again I don't have to stand here forever do I. I only have to stand here until the sun rises because I'm not allergic to it like you are."

Angelus lets out another growl. "This is not over," he warns.

"Like I haven't heard that before," Clark mocks. "And from beings a hell of a lot more dangerous than you are. Now scram! Before I lose my temper."

Angelus doesn't move. Clark shakes his head and fires off a burst of heat vision right at Angel's feet causing the vampire to jump back. "Do you really want to chance your unlife against the man who can shoot fire from his eyes Angel? Think about it."

Angelus skulks off into the night while mentally noting to find some way to make that thing pay.

Clark lets out a sigh after Angel is gone and turns his attention to the figure sleeping in the house. Angel has been making her life hell and Clark thinks it is about to get a whole of a lot worse. Now he thinks he is beginning to understand why Buffy kind of skimmed over this part of her life when she told it to him. Clark just hopes that what he learns from watching this is worth the pain he is going through having to watch the woman he loves suffer.

* * *

The world ripples and time moves on and Clark watches on as events spiral downward to their climax. As events near their conclusion his body loses all cohesion. It seems to be that he can do no more but watch as Angel plans to suck the world into hell. Buffy has a big argument with her mother after Joyce learns the truth about what her daughter is. Now Clark knows it must have been a shock for Buffy's mother but that last line telling Buffy to never come back...well that is too far.

Clark watches Buffy leave after that and Joyce leans on the island in the kitchen with her head in her hands. "She is still your daughter you know."

Joyce's head shoots up to see a ghostly figure of a man standing in her kitchen.. "W-who are you? What are you?"

"An echo," Clark chooses to answer with.

"This is insane," Joyce says thinking she is losing her mind.

"Just because we choose to believe that nothing inhabits the darkness doesn't mean there isn't anything there."

"But Buffy's not this...this..."

"Vampire Slayer," Clark provides. "And yes she is and she is about to fight the man she once loved to save the world."

Joyce shakes her head. "No she's not this...she's just my little girl."

"Who you just told to never come back. Who you just accused of basically being crazy."

"Don't you dare lecture me!" Joyce yells at Clark.

Clark remains calm. "I had a daughter once. I lost her and I would do anything to have her back. I would never have rejected her for any reason."

"Buffy was the one that left!" Joyce shouts slipping into a defence mode.

"Because if she didn't the world as you know it will come to an end. I think somehow that is sufficient reason."

"There are other people..."

"Sometimes there isn't. Sometimes it is just you all alone standing against the world. Right now that person who must stand against the world is Buffy and you should admire her for it. Not reject her."

The world then ripples. Clark sighs as he once more is left at the whim of Fate. The world returns to focus as Buffy fights Angel. They are outside in the atrium where Angel elbows her in the face and she falls through a stone table. Angel points his sword at Buffy preparing to end it. "Now that's everything, huh? No weapons... No friends... No hope," he mocks her.

Buffy closes her eyes and steels herself for whatever is coming.

"Take all that away... and what's left?" Angel asks.

Clark watches on intently. Now this is important because as much as hates to admit it Angel is right. Buffy has lost just about everything. The other slayer Kendra died in a failed attempt to restore Angel's soul. Her mother has kicked her out. She has been kicked out of school and is wanted by the police.

Angel draws the sword back and thrusts it directly at her face. With lightning-fast reflexes Buffy swings up with both arms and catches the blade between the palms of her hands. She opens her eyes and meets his and answers his question in a single word "Me."

The fight resumes swords clashing until Buffy knocks Angel back into the room with the demonic statue where she beats him into the position to deliver the blow to stop the world being sucked into hell. She pulls the sword back when Angel's eyes glow as his soul returns courtesy of Willow.

Oh God. Clark had no idea until right now what she had to do. The vortex is opening and to save the world she is going to have to send the man she loves to hell. She gives Angel a kiss, tells him she loves him then rams the sword right through Angel's chest. He falls into the vortex which closes up. Buffy stares at the statue for some time before it sinks in what she did. As she starts to sob with a broken heart she feels two arms wrap around her.

"I'm sorry," Clark whispers to her.

Buffy says nothing back but simply continues to cry and cry. After a long while she asks barely above a whisper "Why?"

"I don't know. I really wish I did but sometimes terrible things happen and there is nothing we can do about it."

"Even to you?"

"Even to me."

Buffy steps back out of his arms and wipes some tears off. "I need to go," she says a little distantly.

"I understand."

Buffy starts to leave and then stops and looks at Clark. "I'll see you around though right?"

"I'm always around."

Clark watches her go and the world ripples around him once more. Ok he is starting to get really tired of this. When it stops he finds himself standing outside a diner and inside is Buffy waiting tables. Clark steps inside the diner until he is standing directly behind her.

Buffy senses the presence behind her and spins round to find Clark standing there.

"So..." Clark takes a look at her name tag, "Anne. What does someone have to do to get a cup of coffee around here?"

A smile, Buffy's first since she left Sunnydale, pulls at the corners of her lips against her will. "Simple. You sit down and wait until I come to collect your order," she snaps mockishly in a fashion she hasn't used for many weeks.

"Ah. So that's what I have been doing wrong all these years," Clark jokes self-deprecatingly and Buffy can't stop herself from laughing. God it feels good to laugh. She hasn't laughed since before...her laughter soon stops as she thinks back on Angel.

Clark can see her instant change in mood as she sits himself down at a table. When she brings him her coffee Buffy ends up sitting with him since it is quiet. "I haven't seen you in awhile," she says softly.

"Beyond my control I'm afraid," he apologises. He looks around where she works. "So this is different," he remarks.

"I didn't want to be myself anymore."

"Ah. Been there. Done that. Never got the t-shirt though I probably could get one made up."

"You aren't mad at me or disappointed or something?"

"For what? Needing some time to yourself to recover after what you went through. I can't be mad at you for that. Besides you are handling it way better than I did when I ran away. I drugged myself up and turned into an enormous obnoxious jerk for 3 months."

"Sooo...just like a normal guy then," Buffy manages to quip.

"Oh. Ha. Ha," he responds humourlessly.

"You can't have been that bad," Buffy says not seeing how the man she knows or think she knows could be that terrible.

Clark shrugs. "I robbed a bank."

"Why?"

"Needed the money to buy a car."

"You could have just stolen the car," Buffy points out.

"You see when you say it like that it seems so obvious but my mind had been drugged up for like 10 weeks by that point and it gets worse the longer I am on it so my thought patterns were a little bit unclear by this stage."

"You're so weird."

"Coming from the girl who picks shoes by how much damage the heels can inflict I'll take that as a compliment."

"Hey!" Buffy snaps. "That is a very important factor in picking shoes," she argues with a pout. Along with whether they make her ankles look fat but she won't ever admit that her ankles have ever looked fat.

Clark drinks his coffee and muses on the situation for awhile. "You ever think about going home?" he asks Buffy.

"Now and again and then I remember what I left behind there that I don't want to face and the person I don't want to be anymore."

Clark goes back to drinking his coffee. Buffy is still at the denial stage. Yeah he went through that. That was the point of the red kryptonite really. He was trying to deny who he really was but in the end even he couldn't run away from it forever and neither can Buffy. She is only a little lost at the moment...

Clark frowns. In a sense Buffy's spirit being out of balance could be said to be saying as a part of Buffy is a little lost but why would she be lost?

After Clark finishes his coffee and leaves he watches Buffy meet a girl called Lily and despite her saying she no longer wants to be who she was anymore she helps the girl anyway. Buffy's strength truly is amazing. She has lost everything yet despite her denial of her true nature she is helping out anyway. Clark can see as she helps the girl and ends up in some hell dimension thanks to a guy/demon called Ken Buffy slowly realises too that she is still who she always was.

Buffy is in a line with a guard asking them who they are. The answer is meant to be no-one as the demons here try to strip anything you have left away. He stops in front of Buffy and she looks at him, smiles and in a overly friendly tone says "I'm Buffy. The Vampire Slayer. And you are?"

Clark grins widely. She is so adorable when she does that. As Buffy fights her way out of here helping people escape as she does so Clark's thoughts drift back to the thought he had in the diner about Buffy, present day Buffy, being a little lost.

He was for many long months after losing Karen. Buffy must have been as well but Clark had not asked...there had never been time.

"Life is funny."

Clark's head whips round to the side where standing beside him is a girl in a dress and Clark is sure he has seen a picture of her from when he was staying at slayer HQ. "It's Tara isn't it?"

"I am her image so we can give voice to our thoughts when we have no voice of our own."

"We?"

"Buffy and the source of all slayers now merged into one."

Ok now this is adding a whole new level of weirdness to Clark's day. "Life is funny," he repeats her words seeing if she will continue that train.

"It is not a flat line. It has its ups and downs."

That sounds familiar Clark can't help but note as something he was thinking some time back.

"Sometimes it repeats itself in a cycle," the image of Tara continues.

"Buffy is lost like she was here isn't she?"

"We are. We are not. We were. We were not. We want you to know. We want to hide from you who we are...what we were...what we could be."

"That's not making it all that clear. Buffy please. If this is somehow you just tell me what is wrong. Don't hide from me."

"We were young here," she says gesturing at the surroundings. "We thought we lost everything. We did not think greater pain could exist but it did when we lost our daughter and we ran away in another way. A way we dare not show you for if you see you shall hate us."

"I can never hate you Buffy."

"We gave you only a glimpse of the true darkness of our world in this journey of our choosing."

"What all this? You did this?"

"Fate thought he was sending you on one journey. We needed you to go another. You have never seen our true self. We hoped to enlighten you by showing how we killed our lover, drove our mother and our friends away and ended up alone as we deserved."

"So I would what? Run away?"

"Yes. You must. This is the moment of choice. The darkness is growing and soon it will consume us and then you. We love you too much to let that be. This is the last chance for you to leave this place," she warns him.

"I am not going anywhere Buffy. Not until I find you. Not until I save you."

A noise catches Clark's attention in this hell dimension that resembles an old industrial factory. Clark turns round and there beside the furnaces is a crouched figure dressed in tattered leathers with paint across her face. "Buffy!"

The figure runs away at immense speed. Not anywhere near as fast as Clark himself can move but well above normal...well above what Buffy herself could ever manage before. Clark zips off in pursuit, turns a corner and comes to a stop when the figure of Tara stands in front of him in front of a door.

"We must warn you," the figure of Tara says. "Through this door is our domain. There you have no power. There we can kill you."

"You won't though."

"The darkness grows. It sees you as a threat. We must stand alone. Anything that distracts us must be removed. It wants you dead."

Clark is not going anywhere. Not until he finds out what it is Buffy is afraid of him seeing. Why she is trying to drive him away. "I am not leaving," he says with finality.

The figure of Tara moves aside. "Then step through the door and you shall reach your destination."

Clark walks forward and touches his hand to the door knob.

"We love you Clark Kent. Whatever happens next we need you to know this."

Clark looks at the figure and as he does so the shadows of the room move towards her and slowly start to cover her from the toe up until they cover her completely. The last thing he hears is her screams as they echo around this place when the shadows rip the figure literally apart. An animal like snarl follows in Buffy's voice. Clark guesses that was an overly graphic show of the darkness he was told about. Well it is not driving him away. He turns the door knob, opens the door and steps through.

* * *

_Author's Note: Not everything is always as it seems as Clark has just learned. It is not that what he thought he was learning was not important. Quite the contrary actually as you'll see. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up: The Destination._


	65. Part 4 Chapter 19: The Destination

Chapter 19: The Destination

Back in the real world of Gotham its protector Batman stands upon a rooftop but tonight he is not alone. Next to him is Star City's protector; the Green Arrow.

Batman gives Green Arrow a customary glance. This being paired up was not his idea. Bruce was happier alone. No-one to worry about. No-one to lose...like he lost his parents. That was why he did this. So no 8 year old child would ever have to see their parents murdered in front of them by some punk with a gun.

When he started though Bruce had no idea what a cesspool Gotham had descended into during the time he was away training himself...preparing himself. You name it; Gangs, drugs, money laundering, gun-running, human trafficking…

The list went on and on and that is not even including the myriad of psychopaths that have seemed to pop up since Batman arrived in the city.

"Why are you here Oliver?" Bruce asks him.

"Here in Gotham?" Oliver asks back somewhat confused.

"No. With me," Bruce clarifies.

"Ah," Oliver says in understanding. "Anyone else who had to put up with your _charming_ personality would have already killed you Bruce."

Bruce scowls under his cowl. "I thought you would have changed by now Oliver but I can see you are still who you were at school."

"You're wrong Bruce. Just because I have an actual sense of humour does not mean I have not changed. You can't spend 2 years on your own being eaten alive, stung, starving, thirsty, burnt to a crisp by the sun and not change," Oliver says in reference to the island he ended up stranded on. "I think everyone has to endure their own island at some point in their lives that defines them. You endured yours when you were 8."

"You were suppose to protect her Oliver," Bruce says out of the blue.

"I know," Oliver says laden down with guilt at Zee's fate. "I admit I messed up if that is what you want to hear but we were set up Bruce. I told you this."

"You should have prepared for every eventuality."

"Not all of us are paranoid control freaks Bruce." Bruce turns his head and narrows his eyes down to slits as he glares at Oliver who smirks in return. "The truth hurts don't it."

Bruce opens his mouth to speak when an explosion nearby catches both their attentions. In an instant the two heroes are making their way across the rooftops. When they reach their destination the source of the explosion they find to be a diner whose front has been blown out. That can't be a coincidence in Bruce's mind.

He quickly slides down to the ground on a grapple line with Oliver in pursuit. Bruce makes his way inside. They are a few people inside lying on the floor, their faces twisted into impossible enormous grotesque smiles.

Too late Bruce already knows. Too late to save them. They're dead but she is not amongst them at least. He allows himself to feel a tiny bit of relief and hope. He looks up at the wall and on the wall in spray paint are the words 'Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha'. Below that pinned to the wall is a playing card. Bruce moves over and takes it between his thumb and finger.

Oliver steps next to him as Bruce growls out a word that is both the name of the card he is holding and who is responsible for this and in Bruce's mind has just taken Zatanna. "Joker."

* * *

Clark steps out into a sandy desert with dunes. There is the odd tuft of grass here and there. When he turns round he finds the door he stepped through is gone and there is no way back for him now. "Buffy!" he calls out.

A animal-like growl echoes around from seemingly everywhere. Great. She is not going to make this easy is she. Clark chooses a direction and starts to walk because like he was warned he has no power here. He can just feel that they are gone.

Up and down the sand dunes Clark walks, sweat pouring off of him in the blistering sun. He just had to wear black didn't he he grumbles to himself as he shakes his coat off his shoulders and carries it instead. "Buffy!" he calls out again. "I don't know what it is you are trying to hide from me but I'm not leaving until I find out!" he swears.

In the distance Clark can see a dust trail indicating something is moving towards him and fast. A few seconds later a blur flies by him punching him in the jaw as it goes. Clark flies backward and rolls down a dune to its bottom. He sits back up on his knees and rubs his aching jaw. A gust of wind blows his hair about and appearing like an apparition Buffy is in front of him crouched down, her yellow eyes staring intently at him. "Buffy," he says softly.

"We warned you," the figure that resembles Tara says as it appears from behind Clark and walks next to Buffy's side.

"What is it you are hiding from me Buffy?" Clark asks her earnestly. Buffy growls and leaps at him pinning him flat to the ground. She growls and bears her teeth. "You said you wanted to show me a glimpse so I would leave but you know what I actually saw," he says.

Buffy cocks her head slightly and Clark can see the tiniest of puzzled expressions through the face paint. "I saw a girl who time after time had everything she cared for stripped away but still saved the world. I saw a girl who knew she was going to die yet still faced it head on. I saw a girl who ran away from who she was but found her way back so tell me what is so different this time Buffy? Why can't you find your way back?"

"The darkness is too strong," the Tara figure says.

"Rubbish," Clark dismisses that out of hand. "You are stronger. It is only winning because you are letting it and that is not the Buffy I know."

Buffy growls again. She grabs Clark by his shirt and physically lifts him above her head as if he weighs nothing before tossing him through the air like a sack of potatoes. Clark impacts the side of a dune and tumbles down to its bottom. Clark coughs down on his hands and knees. Oh yeah. That definitely hurt he can say as he lifts up his shirt and can see the bruise already forming on his side.

A blast of sand hitting him signals Buffy's arrival. Clark rather shakily gets back to his feet. Now he knows what it feels like to be seriously outclassed. "Buffy whatever you went through...whatever it is you are hiding from me I understand. I went through the same thing after we lost Karen."

A shimmering haze appears next to Buffy and from it the Tara figure appears. "It was different. It is different as you and we are different. You are the child of light bathed in the power of the sun. We are the child of the night spawned by the darkness."

Clark quirks an eyebrow and remembers something so he says the following. "Cryptic make Clark's brain hurt."

Buffy laughs. The real Buffy. Not the Tara figure that is speaking for her.

"You are still in there," Clark realises. "Buffy. Let me help you."

"No," the Tara figure says simply.

Geez. He knew Buffy was stubborn but this is taking it to whole new levels. Buffy then leaps at him but Clark is a little more ready this time and he manages to deflect her off to the side. Buffy rolls a few times and resumes her crouched position ready to pounce. "Buffy. I am not fighting you," Clark tells her.

The world then ripples around them and Clark finds himself circling Buffy in the training room in slayer HQ like they did before they embarked on their world trip. "Buffy. I am not fighting you," he repeats.

"This is our world," the Tara figures announces from the sidelines. "It looks like we want. We can do anything we want."

"Then want to show me what it is you are afraid to show me," Clark begs of her.

"Not afraid. Ashamed," she corrects.

Buffy attacks him and Clark finds himself blocking the moves against his own desire.

"We can do anything we want in our world," the Tara figure proclaims with a hint of darkness and menace. "And you are now part of our world and we can make you do anything. You will fight us and when we grow bored we will kill you."

Blow. Counter blow. Move. Counter move. Clark finds himself fighting Buffy back and forth across the training room unable to stop himself.

"Now you understand the darkness within us compelling us to do violence," the Tara figure explains to Clark.

"I always understood Buffy," Clark says as he delivers a punch to her face. "Just because I'm peaceful by nature doesn't mean I don't."

Buffy lands a punch on him and follows it up with a kick to his stomach sending Clark stumbling back. "Lies," the Tara figure hisses. "You can never understand the darkness within us."

This time when Clark punches her back it is because he wants to. It is his choice. "You forget Buffy. I am a Kryptonian and inside the heart of all Kryptonians lies this ability to banish all feelings. No doubts. No heart. No mercy. Just the kill. I chose to bury that side of me as deeply as I could but it is still there." He manages to grab her by the arms. He pulls her to him and delivers a knee to her gut bending her over. He follow that up with a kick to her head knocking her flat on her back. Clark then pins Buffy to the mat with his arm across her throat. "Before the mission in Russia Buffy when we were alone what did you want? For us to be together again?"

"We loved you. We love you. We have never stopped loving you. We wanted you yes yet we knew the secret we kept deep down. Feared you would learn of it and turn away."

"Instead it is you that has turned away. Turned away and let this power merge with you and try to destroy you."

"It is not the first time."

Clark frowns at that yet he feels that this is getting them somewhere. That what she just said is important. "What do you mean?" he asks her.

Instead of answering it Buffy places her hands on Clark's shoulders and pushes. Clark flies off of her, across the length of the room and slams into the wall and then through it before he crashes back down in the sand of the desert. He pushes himself back to his feet and turns round to be met with Buffy's nail as she rips gashes into his cheek. Clark raises his hand to it as his blood freely flows from the wounds. Buffy slams a fist into his side and Clark can feel and hear a rib break. She then grabs him and throws him through the air once more. Clark lands with a painful groan. He feels himself grabbed by the back of his shirt and flipped through the air turning over and over until he hits the ground once more sprawled on his back. Buffy then wraps her left hand hand around his throat and pins him to the ground. She raises her right hand back to deliver the final blow.

"We are sorry. The impulse to kill is too strong. We warned you to go," the Tara figure says from the sides.

Clark chokes as Buffy's grip around his throat tightens. "I love you Buffy," he manages to say and her grip loosens slightly allowing him to say more. "But we are going around in circles. I made a choice to come here and help you but I can't unless you make a choice. Show me what it is you are hiding from me or kill me and let it be over." The hand Buffy is holding in preparation to strike shakes as she struggles with herself. "You say you ended up alone as you deserved yet I know you went back to Sunnydale. To your mother. To your friends. I told you once that you and I would never have to be alone again because we had each other so choose Buffy. If you truly think you deserve and want to be alone then kill me. If you want for us to be together than it is time you stop hiding whatever it is you are trying to protect me from and let me in all the way. Choose Buffy."

The hand shakes more violently. Clark looks into Buffy's face as the yellow eyes fade back to her emerald green. "Clark," she whispers out.

"Buffy."

"Help me," she pleads of him.

"You have to show me what it is you are hiding Buffy."

"No," Buffy whispers out in horror. "Not that Clark. I can't."

Clark reaches up and strokes her cheek gently. "I love you. That is not going to change."

"It will if you see."

"Let me be the judge of that."

Buffy debates internally with herself and her other self. The one that hungers for the kill. She makes her decision and lets Clark go. She backs away and the desert melts away.

Clark gets back to his feet aching all over it seems and takes in where he is. Looks like caverns of some sort. That doesn't bode well considering the experience in Russia. Clark walks forward until he comes upon a huge cavern filled with hundreds of demons. Upon a platform a huge demon, 7 foot at least with scaly skin, a tail, dagger like teeth and curved horns on its head is making a speech to fire up the army below as he promises them that they will take the surface world, slaughter the innocents feast on their entrails...well you get the idea.

"His name was Yamanh of the Extraordinary Mercy."

Clark turns his head to see "Buffy?"

"Yep. It's me," she says as she steps forward to stand next to Clark dressed utterly drably and her hair in a ponytail. Her norm after Clark left. "By the way the name is suppose to be one of those stupid ironic things that demons seem to go for because mercy is the last thing he was planning but hey it was all good because mercy was the last thing on my mind too." Buffy pulls this sword from its sheath on her back. "You wanted to see what I was hiding Clark then pay close attention to the next 15 or 20 minutes or so because you are about to see a show you will never forget," she promises darkly.

Before Clark can ask what she means she leaps from beside him down into the hoard of demons below. She then proceeds to hack away at them without mercy or pity and with a fury and rage Clark didn't know she possessed. Other slayers abseil down from a opening in the roof of the cavern to join in the slaughter.

Still not all that many and they are still massively outnumbered.

Suicide mission Clark comes to grimly realise and Buffy is leading it.

The battle rages as Clark watches nothing slow Buffy down. Not the blood and guts she is covered in. Not even the pleads of mercy that some of the demons beg of her. She kills them without remorse. The longer the battle goes on the more animal-like Buffy becomes and when she glances in his direction he can see a yellow glow to her eyes. That is what she meant when she said she merged with it before.

"This was how I coped with my loss. I took on the most dangerous missions against the most debauched and evil creatures I could find."

Clark looks to his side and Buffy, another Buffy is standing there. "You retreated into the first slayer within you. I remember you said it was always there."

"And it is and yep that is what I did alrighty but pay close attention because we haven't gotten to the finale yet."

Clark turns his attention back to the battle, the sight of which is starting to make his stomach turn.

"Slayer!" Yamanh bellows as he leaps towards her.

A, what Clark would call, sick little smirk adorns Buffy's face at this. She drives her sword into the ground point first and then leaps at Yamanh. The fight that follows has to be the most brutal Clark has ever seen but Clark can now understand what it was Buffy was trying to hide from him. The fact she is enjoying it. Revelling in it even as her fellow slayers die around her in the battle.

Buffy completely decimates Yamanh by the end of their fight and he lies there on the ground beaten, bleeding, broken limbs. She stands over him, her eyes still with a slight yellow glow. "Beg me for mercy," Buffy taunts him. He spits at her and she kicks the demon in his side as hard as she can. "I said beg me!" she screams.

"Screw you Slayer!" Yamanh yells back.

Buffy's lips curl up into a cruel smile and she kicks him right between the legs and it seems that whatever reproductive organs this demon possesses are located there as he howls in pain. Buffy chuckles darkly. "You think that is pain. You think all these cuts and bruises that cover me actually hurt. They don't. They pale into insignificance against what I have endured. Now where were we? Oh that's right." She kicks him again. "Beg me!"

Yamanh laughs painfully. "You know what Slayer. You would make a half decent demon."

Buffy's face contorts into into pure unadulterated rage and she punches him in the face and then keeps punching over and over until she turns Yamanh's head into nothing but a bloody mush of bones, flesh and brains. She stands up straight breathing hard standing alone amongst all the bodies. The only one left covered from head to toe in blood and guts and looking almost as inhuman as the demons she has just slaughtered.

The Buffy next to Clark sniffles and tries to hold back the tears. "So there you go. There is what I became," she says her voice overflowing with shame. "That is why when I took the power it only made sense that I become one with Sineya. I am as much a monster as she was."

Clark is trying not to vomit which is not easy considering what he is looking at. He had no idea she had fallen that far.

"Hate me Clark. It is the only thing you can do now."

Clark turns his head and looks at that Buffy. "Who are you?"

"I'm Buffy."

"No. Buffy asked for my help. You are wanting me to hate you."

"A person is made of many parts that want different things. I am Buffy. She down there is Buffy. I think there are about a hundred of us round the back somewhere," this Buffy quips.

Clark turns his attention back to the Buffy down below. He leaps down and lands amongst the blood and body parts and makes his way over to her. "Buffy," he says her name.

Buffy looks up at him. Her face is almost completely covered in varying coloured splatters of blood. "Hate me," she pleads of him, her eyes rimmed with moisture.

"No," Clark refuses. He brushes some of her blood caked hair back off her face. "You were in pain. In grief. God Buffy so was I. I wandered the world into natural disasters, into war zones and I didn't lift a finger to help anyone. I may have as well just killed them myself," he says with as much shame as Buffy expressed earlier.

"I embraced it," she says with some shame. "It was the only way I could cope with my pain...my grief...my loss and now I don't have the strength to push Sineya back."

"Yes you do," Clark says in total faith in her. "You let her in at a moment of weakness. We all have them but you are not a monster Buffy."

"Yes I am," she says tearfully.

"No you are not because monsters don't feel shame or sorrow. You do."

Buffy shakes her head. "It's too late," she whispers. "Sineya took the power. Soon she will take over completely."

"The power you took was not for her Buffy. It was for the greater good. I know. I saw what happened with you and Camille. You need to take it back. This is your mind...your body. Not hers. You have the power to do this."

"I don't. Not alone."

"You are not alone. You have me. I love you." Clark then lowers his head and kisses her. She maybe covered in unthinkable filth but he can't not look at her and not still love her. This kiss deepens and becomes more passionate. Clark wraps his arms around her waist and lifts her up. It has been so long. He has missed her so much that he almost doesn't care about where they are right now.

When this kiss ends Clark lowers her back down and plants a few more feather kisses on her lips. Tears flow down Buffy's cheeks. Clark strokes her cheek. "It is like I said before Buffy. I saw a girl lose everything over and over and still keep fighting. This girl in front of me now has so much. Friends who are as good as family. She also has my heart. So tell me is this girl just going to lie down now and lose who she is?"

Buffy manages a smile and a shake of her head. "No," she whispers in reply to his question. Clark is then wrenched from her arms and thrown away...by Sineya.

"We...are...one!" Sineya says.

"No we are not," Buffy says in no uncertain terms with renewed resolve flowing through her.

Buffy and Sineya circle each other. "We have been here before you and I," Buffy says to Sineya in reference to what happened after Adam when the spell they used to defeat him was seen by Sineya as an insult. "I beat you then because I remembered what you are. You are nothing but an echo of someone who has long passed from this world. The power I took was not for you but you took it because I allowed it. Well now I am unallowing it. I turned to you in my grief and pain. While I will always miss Karen that is not the way to honour her." She gazes at Clark for a moment and remembers what he said. "I just needed to be reminded that even when I have lost everything I am still who I always was. I'm Buffy. The Vampire Slayer. You say we are alone. I say that if you ever lay your unwashed, unmanicured hands on the man I love again I swear I will find a way to exorcise you." The side of the cavern suddenly opens up to reveal the desert. Buffy points in that direction. "Go back to the desert," Buffy orders Sineya. "And this time stay there!"

Sineya does not obey and instead makes a move to attack Buffy who stands there unmoving. Sineya throws a punch at Buffy but Buffy grabs the arm with nonchalant ease. "That the best you can do?" she mocks. Buffy shakes her head sadly feeling pity for Sineya. "You just don't get it do you. Clark was right. This is my mind. I decide what goes on here." She locks a hard steely gaze with Sineya. "Now about that power I let you have..."

Clark gets back to his feet just as he watches this blast mist ooze out from Sineya's mouth, eyes and nose and flows straight into Buffy. This continues until Sineya's form dissolves completely. His eyes then look to the opening and suddenly Sineya appears in it walking away into the distance. The cavern wall then closes up. Clark looks at Buffy whose eyes are shut. "Buffy?" he queries.

Buffy opens her eyes which flash yellow and then revert to their emerald green. "I'm good..." She cocks her head to the side and takes Clark in. "but you should not be here Clark. You reminded me of who I was...who I am. Thank you but time for you to go." Mist starts to rise up from the ground. "And oh next time we find ourselves in this type of mess Clark I'm taking a trip around the inside of your head," she promises him with that mischievous impish little grin of hers.

Before Clark can say anything to that mist completely fills his vision. When it fades this time he finds himself standing in the room with the mirror and Dr Fate. He looks at his clothes and finds he looks and feels like he did before he stepped through in the first place.

"Welcome back Kal-El," Dr Fate greets him. "I take it you were successful."

"I think so," Clark says not entirely sure.

Dr Fate gestures towards the door. "Then let us find out."

They make their way back to the sitting room where they left Buffy sleeping on the couch. Clark moves to sit beside her. He rocks her gently. "Buffy."

Buffy's eyes flutter open with their emerald green colour intact. She raises her hand to her head and rubs it. "What happened?" she asks with a slight groan. A coherent question. That's a good sign.

"What do you remember?" Clark asks her.

Buffy frowns as she thinks back. "Um let me see. Fighting Camille. Shadow Men. Stupid demon powers making me act all screwy. You taking an Alice in Wonderland trip through my head. Am I missing something?"

Clark smiles. That is definitely the Buffy he remembers. "No. That basically sums it up and you really remember all that?"

Buffy sits up with Clark's help. "Oh yeah. If my head wasn't screwed up enough with fake Dawnie memories you just had to add to them didn't you."

"Well I had to do something," Clark defends himself.

"Why? Hot blind girl acting like an animal. Most men's wet dream."

"I'm not most men. I wanted Buffy Summers back the way I remember and the way I like her. Besides you were the one who was deciding what I saw and what I skipped weren't you."

Buffy frowns once more. "Um only for some of it I think."

Clark moves and hugs her. "I am so glad you are back," he says softly his voice full of his love for her.

Buffy takes a minute to saviour his embrace. "Me too," she jokes lightly and she really is. She just needed to have her fire relit under her and Clark did that by reminding her of who she is. When Clark pulls back Buffy brushes a hand across his neck where she can remember marking him. A deep instinctual growl rises up inside her and escapes her throat.

"Buffy?" Clark queries slightly concerned when he hears her growl.

"Um..." she stammers slightly. "Just because I put Sineya back in her place doesn't mean the power has gone away Clark. I am more...demon-y than I was before."

"Indeed," Dr Fate confirms. "There are many new aspects you will have to learn about yourself but what is important is that it is you that commands the power and not the power that commands you."

"And you are?" Buffy queries at the man in the blue and gold costume and helmet.

Clark helps Buffy to her feet. "Buffy this is Dr Fate. He is a sorcerer. I thought you knew that."

Buffy shrugs. "Part of me may have. Some of it is fuzzy."

"Wow are you a complicated person. Just how many parts do you have?"

Buffy smiles lopsidedly. "Well I know it has been awhile Clark but you have seen all of my _parts_," she says with a suggestive waggle of her eyebrows and an impish grin.

Clark blushes as red as a beetroot. "Buffy!" he protests.

Buffy laughs. "Oh man have I missed this," she says gleefully at how much fun it is to embarrass Clark. She then stretches herself out and pops a few joints. It is then she notices the clothes she is wearing that she remembers Clark dressed her in. "What the heck did you dress me in?" she complains while making a face.

Clark just has to roll his eyes. Here we go. "Give me a break Buffy. You weren't exactly compos mentis enough to tell me what you wanted but to make it up to I'll take you shopping later. Ok?"

Buffy breaks out into a huge grin at the mention of shopping. "Shopping! Yay!" she celebrates with child-like glee.

Clark laughs at her. He can't help himself.

"Wait a minute? What do you mean later?"

"Zatanna is missing remember and I assumed we would go to Gotham to help find her."

The memory stirs in Buffy's head. "Oh right. Yes. We should totally go do that first."

Clark turns to face Dr Fate and holds his hand out. "Thank you for everything. We would stay if we could..."

Dr Fate cuts him off while shaking Clark's hand. "I understand. Go. It is Destiny's fate that you leave here now."

"Any chance you have seen anything?" Clark wonders with Fate's ability to see destiny.

"In relation to Zatanna no. Her fate is not for me to influence at this time. As for yourself Kal-El. Be warned. Your darkest hour yet draws near."

Clark blinks while Buffy rolls her eyes. "Oh gee you are really Mr Optimism aren't you," she mutters sarcastically.

"The night is always darkest before the dawn and then the world will enter a new Silver Age where Kal-El will lead a new band of heroes. Assuming you survive of course."

"Survive...?" Clark inquires.

"Cythonna. Her rising approaches and she shall not rest until you are destroyed Kal-El. To put it simply she doesn't like you very much."

"The feeling's mutual."

Clark exchanges a farewell with Inza before he and Buffy depart the tower. Buffy turns round to look at where they left. "It's invisible?" she asks at seeing nothing.

"Yes."

"How did you know those two?" she asks.

"Bit of a story. Can wait until later. You alright?" Clark asks her.

Buffy is turning on the spot. "I'm not sure. Everything looks different, smells different, tastes different and were woods always this noisy?" She can hear all these animals everywhere and the breeze through the trees sounds like a gale blowing through.

"Buffy about what you did...accepting that power..."

"It had to be done Clark." She couldn't allow Camille to have this kind of power.

"I'm not saying it didn't but what has it done to you?"

Buffy looks at him, sees the gentle concern on his face and his baby blues and in return concern slips onto her face that reflects her own feelings about what she is now. "I don't know. I can...I don't know sense so much around me. I can feel the magic in this place." She steps forward and places her hand on Clark's chest. "I can feel you. Hear your heart beating." She moves her head to his neck and sniffs. "Good god did you always smell so yummy?" she almost growls hungrily and not hungry for food.

A rumble deep in Clark's chest escapes as a laugh.

She slaps him not so gently on his chest. "I'm being perfectly serious Clark."

Clark rubs the spot where she hit him. "I'm not saying you're not and by the way that stung."

Buffy looks up into his face. "You being serious?"

Clark nods. "Yes. I really did feel that one. So I guess you are keeping the extra strength?"

"Looks like."

Clark takes her right hand into his. "Tell me when it starts hurting," he says as he starts to squeeze her hand gently and then increases the pressure.

Many seconds go by before Buffy says "There. Stop."

Clark mentally notes how much that was so he knows the limit of what strength to use on her.

"Can you tell how strong I am?" she asks him.

"That tells me how much force you can absorb. How strong you are is slightly different. We'll have to work on that later."

"So am I bulletproof?" she has to know.

Clark shakes his head. "No. Tougher yes and low velocity rounds probably won't be able to penetrate your skin although they'll smart. The high velocity ones will and can most likely still kill you if they hit something vital."

Buffy takes all that in. Well what did she expect really. "So we should get going...hey do you think I can fly now?"

"You never did before," Clark points out.

"I know but I was all animal-y and not thinking all that much."

"So like just the normal for you then," Clark quips.

Buffy scowls and lets out a low growl at him. "Not funny but seriously how does one fly?"

"You just kind of will it Buffy. It's an instinct."

Buffy closes her eyes and tries to will it because it would just be so cool if she could actually fly. She cracks open an eyelid to find...

"Still earthbound," Clark informs her.

Buffy pouts. "No fair."

Clark sweeps her up into his arms. "Look when we have more time you can try until you pass out but we need to go to Gotham."

"Yeah," Buffy says in agreement.

Clark floats up slowly until he is above the trees then accelerates towards Gotham. Buffy wraps her arms around his neck. "I've missed this," she tells him warmly. Missed being held in his arms like this. Missed soaring through the sky with the wind rushing across her skin making her feel alive.

"I've missed this too," Clark says softly.

"We have so much to talk about don't we," Buffy realises.

"We do but for now I think it is enough just to say I love you Buffy Summers."

"I love you Clark Kent."

The two of them share a kiss and while they do indeed have much to work through at least they are together again.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; The Last Laugh as our heroes try to rescue Zatanna from the Clown Prince of Crime._


	66. Part 4 Chapter 20: The Last Laugh I

Chapter 20: The Last Laugh I

In Gotham the gang regroup on a rooftop a short distance away from the trashed diner.

"So who is this Joker guy?" Cordy is the one to ask after they get caught up. She had tried handling the playing card but got nothing in terms of any vision so it seems TPTB aren't going to be helping this time.

"He's psychotic," Batman says in his gruff voice as the only explanation needed to describe Joker but he elaborates anyway. "No-one knows his real name. Chaos and murder are more than just compulsions for him; he likes it. He's a crazed clown who always tries to leave his victims dying with laughter...literally."

"How did he find her?" Oliver asks.

"That no longer matters. All that matters is that he has her," Batman says trying to eliminate the useless and concentrate on what they need to do now.

"How do we find him?" Dinah asks.

Batman holds up the Joker card he took from the diner. "He told us where to find him."

"He did huh?" Bart says sounding sceptical. "Don't take this the wrong way Bats but I think your undies are on too tight. It is just a card."

"A card manufactured in Gotham at a factory that closed down 3 years ago."

"Seems kinda too easy," Chloe makes the comment from experience.

"It's never that easy. Not with Joker. It was not an oversight when he left the card."

"He did it on purpose knowing you would find it and follow the clue," Chloe fills in.

"Sounds like a trap," Aquaman surmises.

"Of course it is," Batman snaps almost biting Aquaman's head off.

Faith cracks her neck and grins manically. "Sound like fun." Her smile is only partly because she is excited about walking into a trap. It is also because she finally scratched that itch with Xander who is doing his best to keep the happy little grin off his face. No need to let their friends know until after this is over with.

It was more than scratching an itch although Xander scratched it really really well but Faith wants it to be more than that this time. She hopes Xander knows that. She isn't great at sharing her feelings.

A '_beep beep' _coming from Oliver's direction draws everyone's attention. "What was that?" Xander asks.

Oliver's gaze turns upward. "That would be the signal that says our resident Boy Scout is returning."

A sound like thunder fills the sky before in the distance an object rapidly approaches the rooftop they are standing on flying above Gotham. It is only a few seconds before Clark is floating down gently landing on the roof with Buffy in his arms before he lowers her to the ground.

"Buffy?"

"Buffster?"

"B?"

Varying voices query to see if Clark succeeded and Buffy is back to normal. Buffy's gaze takes in everyone in turn before she stops on Faith. She points her finger at the dark haired slayer. "Faith. Not friend," she says waggling her finger and trying desperately to keep a straight face.

Faith rolls her eyes at the sparkle of mischief in Buffy's eye. "Nice to have you back B," she says with a hint of sarcasm.

Buffy finally lets out a chuckle. "It's good to be back and to be able to formulate more than 3 word sentences." She then glares at Clark whose mouth is half open. "And don't you dare think of cracking a joke about that," she tells him.

Clark snaps his mouth shut and gestures zipping it closed. He was about to make a crack how that was an improvement of the Buffy he knew being able to string together longer sentences.

Willow gazes her friend up and down. "Um Buff you are still different," she has to point out.

"I know. I know. The extra power...I am kind of stuck with it."

"What extra power?" Xander asks.

Buffy looks at them and then to Clark who explains "They don't know what happened to you. I only found out when I went to see Dr Fate."

Willow's eyes widen and her jaw drops. "You know Dr Fate?" she exclaims in total shock.

"You know him?" Buffy asks Willow.

"I know of him. I know that people would give their right arm to be tutelaged by him. I've been trying on and off for most of the last 2 years to try and study under him but I keep getting fobbed off with lines about when Destiny decides the time is right."

Clark smiles enigmatically. "Yeah. He tends to say stuff like that."

Batman resists the urge to shake his head. "Can we focus on the mission," he demands in a gruff voice.

Clark turns his gaze to Batman. He walks over and extends his hand as greeting. "It is nice to meet you."

Bruce does not take the hand back and only glares at Clark from behind his cowl. "I only agreed to allow your help because it would have taken longer otherwise. I do not need your help. I am not here to be your friend. When this is over I expect you all to leave my city."

Clark takes his hand back and remains calm. He won't rise to the bait. "I use to think that I did not need help either but experience taught me otherwise. Sometimes we come across things we can't handle on our own."

Cordy rolls her eyes at the display. "You know that alpha male thing is sooo last century."

"I hate to say it," Buffy says," but I agree with Cordelia." She looks at Batman. "That lonely hero thing you've got going. Been there and listen to the voice of experience it never ends well."

Batman turns his gaze to the blonde. "What do you think you know about it?"

Buffy laughs. In fact she kind of chortles. "What do I know about it? I know that I have been fighting the worse things imaginable since I was 15 years old. What were you doing when you were 15? Hanging at some posh school for the ridiculously wealthy I bet so don't you dare lecture me and say I don't know." Buffy allows a minute to pass for that to be absorbed. "On the other hand you are right. Explanations can wait until we find Zatanna. Now bring us up to date where we are?"

* * *

"That the factory?" Oliver asks Bruce for confirmation as they stand in front of the old dilapidated building.

"Yes."

"Blur?" Oliver queries.

Clark's eyes flash electric blue as he uses his x-ray vision. His brow furrows into a frown. "I can't see inside."

"Lead?" Buffy queries.

"Magic," Clark says with a little distain.

"Does Joker know magic?" Oliver asks Bruce.

"No."

"Then he must be getting help from someone who does," Clark concludes.

A couple of spotlights atop of the factory light up and focus their light on the group of heroes. "Hey Bats!" a jovial sounding yet creepy voice shouts out through speakers.

"Joker," Batman growls out.

"Oh well lookie here. You brought some playmates with you. How nice. I'm touched!"

"What's your game Joker?" Batman shouts back.

A maniacal laugh fills the air for several seconds. "Oh come now Bats. You know how this works. The game is the same as always. To bring my own brand of laughter and joy to the poor sad saps of Gotham." More insane laughter follows.

"Is this guy for real?" Cordy has to ask.

"Yes," Batman says simply. "But never underestimate him or dismiss him just because he is insane. He is evil you can't begin to imagine."

"I've got a game for your new pals Bats! It's called Beat the Clock!"

Batman's eyes narrow to slits. Joker knew that when he came he wouldn't be coming alone.

"If you would please turn your attention to the skyline of our fair and soon to be in peril city the game shall begin!"

The heroes turn to gaze at Gotham and as they do so a new green blinking light appears. Then another, then another until there are dozens all spread out across the city on top of or on the side of buildings.

"Each one of those lights indicates the location of a store of my fabulous Laughter Gas and in...15 minutes and 23 seconds...oh what you were expecting a round number? I will unleash it upon the citizens of Gotham allowing them to know the same joy that I do every single day or they will for the few minutes they are alive anyway."

"Laughter Gas?" Clark queries from Batman.

"Joker Gas. A potent airborne agent that induces hysterical laughter and causes the muscles around the facial area to contract giving anyone effected a permanent clown-like grin. Exposure to it for more than a few minutes is fatal," Batman informs them all.

"Then we have to find these stores and disable whatever mechanism will trigger the release," Clark states while he does a quick mental calculation which means that even with all of them it is going to be a struggle to disable them all in time.

"You do that," Batman says in agreement. "I'll handle the clown."

"By yourself?" Buffy queries sceptically.

"I work better alone," Batman states flatly.

Buffy rolls her eyes. They already went over this. God this guy was worse than Angel and Clark combined. "Look tall, dark and creature of the night-y you said it yourself Joker doesn't know magic which means someone is helping him. You go in there...who knows what you'll come across. Now Will there on the other hand is a very powerful witch so she is going with you and to keep her safe Faith, Cordelia and Xander should go with you and by the way that is not open for debate before you try it."

Batman gazes at the blond girl. He could hear the voice of experience there..of leading people into battle.

"She is right you know," Clark says softly. "Everyone of us here wants the same thing in the end even if we use different methods. We all want to make the world better in our own way. Don't you think we can do more as a team than as individuals."

Silence. Well Clark gave it his best shot.

"You deal with whoever else is there but I still handle the clown. I know him better," Batman says.

"Faith, Cordy, Xander, Willow protect his back. We'll take out the gas," Buffy instructs.

"We?" Xander queries.

Buffy sighs and then she zips away in a blur a distance and then zips back again. "I think my speed would be better used in finding these devices," she points out.

"That's cool," Xander says.

Cordelia raises her hand. "Excuse me since when do you get to give me orders?" she asks Buffy.

"When you came back from the dead as a slayer," Faith is the one to answer. "Now get your ass in gear Chase," Faith orders Cordy using her position as head of the slayers as she shoves Cordy in the back in the direction of the factory. Batman, Xander and Willow follow suit.

That leaves the rest to fan out into the city and find these devices and disable them. Clark has to give Buffy a quick kiss. "Be careful," he asks of her.

"I will," she promises

"Here," Oliver says to draw her attention. "You'll need this." he then throws a small round device to her.

"What's this?" she asks.

"A communication device," Clark answers. "It goes in your ear and you gently tap the surface when you want to speak. It has voice recognition software so you say..." Clark looks at Oliver. "What's this one's codename?"

"Oh it's just a spare so Guest 1."

"Right. You tap it and say Guest 1 to Blur for example and it will connect you to me," Clark explains.

"Ok," Buffy says as she puts it in her ear.

Oliver touches his communicator. "Arrow to Batcave. You aware of the situation."

"We are."

"Giles?" Buffy exclaims at the voice she is hearing.

Giles had stayed behind at the Batcave with Alfred and was helping co-ordinate everything. Alfred's voice speaks. "The devices are transmitting and receiving radio waves. We are trying to isolate and jam in the hope that can disable them. In the event we can't we can at least use their signals to give you their locations."

"Alright. Give the ones furthest away from our location to our fastest including Guest 1 who now possesses her own turn of speed," Oliver instructs.

"We're on it," comes Chloe's voice who has decided that considering the situation she could best serve by returning to the Batcave which by the way she found unbelievably cool even if it makes her sound slightly geeky.

On Chloe's instruction as to where to go the heroes then do make haste and spread out to stop Joker's insane scheme.

* * *

Batman, Cordy, Faith, Willow and Xander stand in front of the huge double doors that are the entrance to the factory.

"Since he knows we're coming I guessing we can skip subtle," Faith assumes.

"Yes," Batman says simply.

Faith looks to Cordy. "On 3?"

Cordy nods. "On 3."

"1...2..." the two slayers then kick at a door each as they shout "3!"

The huge doors fly open and reveal...pitch darkness. "Great," Xander mutters sarcastically. "So either he forgot to pay his electric bill or..."

Batman strides forward. "Just leave it at or," he says bluntly.

"Gee you are just Mr Personality aren't ya," Cordy mutters sarcastically. "You always this charming?"

Cordy is answered in a way by Joker's laughter echoing all around them. "Welcome to my humble abode!" he says as a spotlight lights up and highlights him and those apart from Batman for the first time get to see what he looks like. The tall lean figure with green short hair, his skin a bleached white and his face twisted with a crazed perpetual grin with bright red clown make-up around his lips. He is dressed in a purple suit with a flower pinned to it.

Joker chuckles. "Well Batsy! I'm touched really," he says as he holds his hand over his heart in a mock gesture. "So many new friends you bring me. Maybe they will join your old one."

"Where is she?" Batman demands to know from him.

Joker laughs again but this time it is his darker malevolent one. "Oh she's around somewhere." Joker taps on his chin pretending he is thinking. "I know!" he declares. "Lets play Hide and Seek. I've hidden the Magician. You guys have to find her."

Batman narrows his eyes. Too simple.

"Oh Ethan!" Joker calls out in a high-pitch tone.

"Ethan?" Cordy, Faith, Xander and Willow say at the same time.

Another spot-light flashes on and standing there, a few feet away from Joker, is Ethan Rayne only now he has the same twisted grin on his face as Joker. Joker laughs. "How do you like the improvements I've made to him? So much better don't you think?" Joker moves beside Ethan and places their heads together cheek against cheek. "We could pass for brothers don't you think so? Ok Ethan fire up your voodoo and lets play Hide and Seek Joker style!"

Ethan starts to laugh in the same maniacal way as Joker as he raises his hands and they visibly glow with power.

"Oh this is bad," Willow mutters with some foreboding at what is about to happen as she summons up her own powers. A huge wave of energy then erupts from Ethan spreading out in all directions. Willow raises a shield around them all as the wave washes over them and reality warps around them.

When it is over they find themselves standing in front of a building twisted at impossible angles with a sign saying Joker's Funhouse above the entrance.

"What did you mean 'this is bad?'" is the first question from Xander.

Willow lets out a sad chuckle. "Ok Ethan wasn't exactly Mr Sane to start with but now he is totally whacked out chaos mage with the power to twist reality. Trust me that is a bad combo."

"Does anyone else have to ask how did he end up here and like that?" Faith asks trying to figure out how Ethan ended up here from where they last saw him.

"I guess we can blame the First right? It was the one that freed him from your containment spell right?" Xander asks Willow.

"Yeah it was. I guess the First isn't finished with its little games with us just yet."

"So what now?" Cordy asks.

"Nothing has changed," Batman states. "We need to find Zatanna and stop Joker before he releases his gas upon Gotham." Bruce had been trained to deal with magic. It is all about will power and focus and knowing what is reality and what is illusion.

Willow closes her eyes and concentrates her senses. "Well Ethan is doing his best to block me but I can sense life forces present inside so they are here. I guess they expect us to step inside and find them."

"Can you take Ethan?" Xander asks Willow.

Willow considers it for a moment. "Not sure."

"What do you mean 'Not sure'?" Cordy asks.

"What I mean is Cordy is that from what I can sense Ethan is now insane which means he now thinks and can use magic in ways I can't think of because hey guess what I'm sane but I have to try because he can't be left controlling that kind of power."

"Lets go and be careful," Batman instructs. "There is no telling what kind of traps Joker has laid."

With that warning the group of heroes heads inside to face whatever twisted version of reality Joker and Ethan have created for them.

* * *

Meanwhile out in the city the others are hunting down Joker's gas stores. Clark is at one now which is disguised as a water tower describing the trigger mechanism back to the Batcave so they can tell him how to disarm it. He uses his heat vision to cut the wires in the right order and the green flashing light blinks off indicating it is disarmed. Now to check on the gas inside. He activates his x-ray vision and finds...

"Nothing?" Chloe says somewhat incredulously over the comlink. "You sure?" she asks him.

Clark resists the urge to roll his eyes. "Remember who you are talking to Batcave," he says back.

"Oh right," Chloe says as she somehow just remembers who she is talking to and what he can do. She then discusses it with Giles and Alfred before getting back to Clark. "Considering the lethal nature of the gas we can't take the chance of assuming they are all duds," she informs him. "Move onto the next one."

Clark agrees. They can't take the chance. He launches himself into the air and heads to the next nearest target.

At another location Buffy slides to a halt in an alleyway. She is having to suppress the part of her that is thinking how unbelievably cool it is she can run as fast as she can. She wonders how fast exactly. She can figure that out later as she leaps upward several stories in a single bound and lands on top of the roof. She finds four metal drums tied together in the middle of the roof and makes her way over to it. Then listening carefully to instructions over the comlink she manages to disable the device which is a feat she is quite proud of. She is more of the hit it kind of girl to fix problems but considering her new speed she figured she would be more useful helping disable these things. Guess she is maturing or something.

Well no rest for the wicked or for hot blond super slayers as she runs across the roof and leaps off and onward to her next target.

* * *

"Ooh crazy mirrors. That's so original," Cordy remarks with the full force of her sarcasm at what the group find as they enter the first room of the Funhouse. She stands in front of one that distorts her making her bulge at the middle. Oh that is so attractive she thinks to herself...not.

Cordy's attention looks around the room. There is no exit. What she doesn't see is her distorted reflection grin evilly before its hands reach out of the mirror, grab Cordy and yank her in. Her scream gets everyone's attention as their reflections grab each of them and pull them in. All except Batman who had never allowed himself to get that close. Each of the mirrors in the room goes black where someone was pulled through except for the last remaining one. Batman pulls out a batarang and throws it into the mirror which shatters revealing a door.

Batman makes a check on the other mirrors. When he places his hand upon the black surface it feels solid, rock-like. He is not getting through that. The others will have to look after themselves. Besides the best way to help them is to find Joker and put an end to this. He makes his way to the door, opens it and steps inside into the next room.

Cordy manages to break away from her overweight duplicate and rolls backward to gain some space. This was disturbing on many many levels. Her duplicate attacks her with surprising speed for its girth but Cordy manages to avoid and deflect its blows. She manages to hit it across the face with a punch of her own. The duplicate's head snaps back and when it turns to look at her again the duplicates cheek is cracked like a mirror's would be. Cordy can see slivers of silver and glass inside the cracks.

Ok. So it's definitely not alive so that means no holding back. She rolls forward and delivers a punch to the duplicate's stomach. As it bends over Cordy flips over it grabbing its shoulders as she does so. She twists round to land on her back and uses her momentum and her legs to throw her duplicate into the air and when it lands it shatters into thousands of pieces. Cordy gets up, dusts herself down and finds only pieces of a broken mirror lying where her duplicate was.

What she doesn't see or hear is the figure sneaking up behind her. Not until this enormous pain shoots through her head as something big and heavy slams into the back of it before she blacks out.

Faith's duplicate is tall and lanky. She shakes her head. If her day hadn't been weird enough already. Ok weird might be the wrong word. After all what she and Xander shared wasn't weird. It felt more like for once in her life she had done the right thing. Anyway she can think about that later as she ducks under a long lanky arm that is swung at her.

Faith has neither the time nor patience for this right now when who knows where Xander is. She runs at her duplicate and slides between its long legs. She then sweeps her leg round toppling her duplicate over where upon hitting the ground it shatters into pieces of a mirror. Faith gets back to her feet and prods the pile with her foot.

"Sorry there but the world is only big enough for one Faith," she says.

Her words cover the sound of a figure sneaking up behind her and Faith soon suffers Cordy's fate as she is walloped across the back of the head and falls to the ground unconscious.

Xander finds himself facing a short dumpy duplicate of himself. "I'm sure there's a message there somewhere," he mutters to himself. "Look," he addresses his duplicate. "Surely there is a way we can avoid having to fight. I mean you are me. A short dwarf version of me true but still me."

The duplicate opens its mouth an inhuman sound like glass being cut only louder and more intense escapes. It then charges at him.

Xander dodges to the side which is easy enough to do. Short legs means slow movement. He lets out a sigh. "Ok I'm guessing that is no."

His duplicate leaps at him and manages to grab his leg.

"Hey!" Xander yells. "No biting!" he tells it as she tries to shake it off as that is exactly what it is doing. Xander bends down grabs the duplicate and manages to pull it off and send it sliding across the room into a wall where it shatters upon impact.

"Huh," he remarks. "That seemed easier than usual."

Then just as he says that he is clocked on the back of the head just like Faith and Cordy and joins them in la-la land.

Willow stands with her exact duplicate with her hands on her hips looking immensely annoyed. "Don't waste my time with childish glamours," she says.

Her duplicate's appearance alters into that of Ethan Rayne. Crazy grinned Ethan Rayne who cackles insanely.

"I don't suppose we can resolve this peacefully," Willow suggests with forlorn hope.

Ethan chuckles darkly. "Sorry Red but where would be the fun in that. Besides our last encounter was so much fun we just have to have another tussle only this time I will be having the last laugh." He then cackles once more as his hands glow.

Willow summons up the energy within her making her own hands glow as well and then the two clash in a conflict of spells, magic and light.

* * *

Batman takes one step inside the next room when the floor beneath him opens up and he finds himself sliding down a long twisting chute. When he hits the bottom he rolls forward and is quickly back to his feet. He looks around the room decorated with enormous playing cards, jesters and other clown related objects.

Joker then steps out from behind one of the cards. "Hello Batman," he says in the dangerous eerily calm voice that Joker rarely uses.

Batman's eyes narrow. "Joker."

Joker chuckles slightly. "I knew you would find your way here."

"I'm not here to play your games. Where is she?"

"Oh around," Joker answers vaguely gesturing with his hands. "But if you want to find her then first you'll have to take part in the show. Punch! Judy!"

Two large men in purple jester outfits walk out to beside Joker. Batman tenses in preparation.

Joker points at Batman. "Get him!" he orders.

Batman does not have time for this. Joker's two goons advance on him. He ducks under the first one's swing before stepping in close and delivering an uppercut on the large man sending him stumbling back. The second one tries to grab him in a bear hug but he dodges that and leaps over the man's head dropping as he goes a small gas pellet which breaks on the man's chest releasing a gas that causes his foe to drop to the ground asleep. The first one makes a move to sneak up behind Batman only for Batman to anticipate it and spin round delivering a round-house kick as he does so knocking out this foe as well.

Joker looks on at the scene. "Well that's what you get for letting goons do a clown's job." He then rolls up his sleeves and balls up his hands into fists. "Alright then Batsy! I guess I have to lay a whoopin on ya myself."

If it was in his nature Batman would roll his eyes right about now. Luckily it is not in his nature as he spots 3 playing cards appear in Joker's right hand. Joker then throws them at him and Batman rolls, dodges and flips out of their way because these cards have razor sharp metal edges evidence of which shows as one rips through his cape.

In his favour though is that his movements have allowed him to fall into the shadows of the room. The darkness was his greatest weapon.

Joker loses sight of Batman and he knows old Batsy well enough to know that he will strike soon. "Oh come on Batsy! Come out and fight me Bat to Clown!" he goads him.

"You never learn do you Joker," Batman's voice echoes from the shadows.

Joker grins even wider than normal. "Oh you'd be surprised Bats."

Batman swings out of the darkness on a grapple line and grabs Joker and flings him to the ground. He lands and grabs the clown by the lapels of his jacket...only to discover he is holding a dummy?

How in the world...?

Batman's thought is cut off by a ticking sound coming from the fake. He drops it and runs but not far enough away before the dummy explodes sending him flying through the air and landing with a painful grunt. He gets back to his feet knowing that is going to hurt in the morning but he was trained to ignore small things like pain.

Joker's insane cackles fills the air and Batman tries to make his ringing head focus as a slightly blurred Joker steps into view.

"I guess you picked the wrong dance partner there eh Bats! Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!" Joker delivers his full blown laugh. "Oh by the way look out behind you!"

Before Batman can move a huge heavy blow hits the back of his head and he crumples to the floor.

"Well you can't say I didn't warn you," Joker gloats as he moves to stand over Batman.

"You said it Mr J," a new female voice says with much enthusiasm and praise for the Joker.

As Batman fades into unconscious he sees a figure dressed up in a red and black jester outfit carrying a huge mallet move to stand next to Joker and despite the white make-up paint Batman can recognise her features and her unmistakable blue eyes. "Zee," is his last whispered word before he blacks out.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up: The Last Laugh Part 2._


	67. Part 4 Chapter 21: The Last Laugh II

Chapter 21: The Last laugh II

You ever had that feeling you are being played because right now Clark is having that feeling...again. It has happened a few times to Clark in his life. Brainiac did it. The First has done so a few times and right now Clark thinks Joker is doing so as well. He had disabled a half dozen of Joker's devices and each and everyone of them he has scanned has turned out to be empty. He really hasn't spent the time dwelling on that as he zips from one to the next but he is certain that he is getting played. Perhaps they are all getting played which begs the question; what is Joker really up to?

* * *

When Batman comes round he finds himself hanging off the ground with steel cable wrapped around his wrists. He guesses Joker learned from last time when he tied Batman up with rope and Bruce inevitably escaped from that. He can see hanging next to him are Xander, Faith, Willow and Cordy. All but Willow like him are starting to come around. Bruce's assessment would be that Joker has sensibly(a rare thing for the psychotic clown) realised he needs to keep the red-headed witch unconscious.

A familiar dark chuckle gets Bruce's attention as he looks down to find Joker with Ethan standing next to him and on the other side Zatanna.

"Ah finally awake eh Bats!" Joker proclaims with his usual insane cackle. He then sits himself down in a garish purple upholstered chair over the back of which is Batman's utility belt. "Right now you're probably wondering how is it I finally got the better of you."

"Don't kid yourself Joker. You are exactly where I want you," Batman responds gruffly.

Joker almost busts a rib with laughter. "Oh Batman I will almost miss our little game," he proclaims while wiping a mock tear from his eye.

Batman narrows his eyes. He can guess what comes next is one of Joker's monologues where the clown explains everything. Joker loves to hear himself talk.

"Well now where to start?" Joker asks in a rhetorical fashion. He looks at Ethan. "I know! We'll start with old Ethan here. Funny story and trust me I know funny. So anyway there I was sitting around a few days ago putting the final touches to my latest genius idea when Ethan here fell into my lap...literally actually. Now a less generous forgiving soul other than myself would have just blown Ethan's brains out right there for ruining my suit. Luckily for Ethan here curiosity struck me about his odd arrival so I determined to get some answers. It took some electric shock treatments and a chemical bath or two but before long he was singing like a canary as it chokes its last in a gas filled mine and the secrets he told...ooh you wouldn't believe Bats."

Batman says nothing. Joker continues on regardless. "After Ethan's treatments...well he was no longer the same man. He had become the dazzling display of manhood you see now. After all you know Bats what the difference between me and everyone else is don't you?"

"Decent hair colour," Xander says a little snippy at being dangled off the ground and forced to listen to the crazy clown but still rather clichéd villain monologue.

Joker chuckles. "Oh lookie here. A comedian."

"Well at least one person here is," Cordy adds her 2 cents. It wasn't like she could do much else. Even slayer strength wasn't breaking the steel cords that bound her wrists.

"You really don't get it like Batman does girl. You see the difference between you and me is...one bad day. That is all it takes. One bad day and you are me. One bad day and everyone is Gotham is me! And for the citizens of Gotham that day is today." Joker looks at his watch and taps it. "Huh. I think it's broken. That's more than 15 minutes." Joker then shrugs. "Oh well. Doesn't matter. I was lying anyway."

"What are you on about clown-boy?" Faith asks.

Joker laughs. "It's all one big gag because each and every one of those lights I have your friends chasing after they are all empty." Joker laughs some more. "Don't you get it? I have them running around the city for no reason and that's the gag!" Joker laughs even harder.

"Good one Mr J!" Zatanna, who still does not know who she really is, says joining in laughing...well it comes out as more of a girlish giggle.

Joker notices Batman's gaze turn to his newest sidekick. "Oh Yes. The Magician. You no doubt want to know how she ended up as my loyal assistant."

"Because I admire your genius, sense of humour and, last but not least, your ravishing good looks," Zatanna says in sickening almost love-sick sounding praise.

"Oh stop!" Joker tells her falsely. "You'll give me a swelled head!"

If looks could kill the one Batman is giving Joker would have vaporised him. Joker gets off his chair and makes his way over to Batman so he can whisper the next bit. "Here's how it goes Bats. Once Ethan started blabbing all his little secrets he let slip what he did to your little magician friend so I of course saw the possibilities instantly. He altered her memory once so I had him do it again only this time in such a way she would be my forever loving sidekick and your worst nightmare." Joker finishes off with another dark laugh as he makes his way back to his chair and sits down.

Faith decides to be the rational calm one here at this moment. "So if our friends are chasing nothing then what is all this about?"

"Ah. The direct approach," Joker says turning his gaze to the brunette. "I admire that in my guests. Well the explanation is simple. I do intend to bring my own joy to Gotham as I said. My gas is just..." Joker waves his hand about, "Well it's somewhere nearby," he answers vaguely.

"You tell 'em puddin," Zatanna says with sycophantic support.

Joker turns his attentions back to Batman and pulls out a razor blade. "However before that I have my pound of flesh to cut out," he threatens darkly. He moves to stand in front of Batman. "Any last words Batsy?"

"Yes."

"Really?" Joker says with complete surprise. "Always took you as the silent type but go on. This ought to be good."

"I think it's time to stop the pretence."

Joker looks at Batman completely baffled. "And people say I'm crazy?"

"You are," Ethan says and Joker turns round to face him. Ethan's form then dissolves away to reveal a certain red-headed witch and the tied up form of Willow turns into Ethan.

Joker points at Willow. "But you..." He points at the now hanging Ethan. "But he..."

"Oh I thoroughly whipped him. It's been me all along," Willow explains. She managed to beat Ethan despite him being nuts because...well she does have this less rational dark side to her that itches for days like this. Most of the time Willow keeps that side of her locked up but this was kind of an emergency and it did allow her to beat him. After she had knocked Ethan out cold the idea struck her to swap places with him and wait for the right moment which is now.

Joker watches as Zatanna tiptoes up behind Willow and grins.

"I'll get you all down in a minute," Willow tells her friends.

"Take your time," Xander says lightly meaning quite the opposite because seriously his arms are really starting to ache.

"I just have to do one thing first," Willow says as behind her Zatanna magically conjures up her mallet. She swings it up to strike Willow who spins round at the last second. "Congelo!" she casts her spell and freezes the hammer in mid-air along with Zatanna. It won't hold Zatanna for long but it doesn't need to. Willow grabs the sides of Zatanna's head. "Remember Zatanna. Remember who you are," Willow chants over and over.

Joker growls in anger and throws some of his cards at Willow but they impact a energy field around Willow's body.

A blue spark of light flashes in Zatanna's eyes. She blinks a few times. "I...what...where am I?" She looks down at herself. "And what the hell am I wearing?"

Willow smiles at her success and steps off to the side and gestures at Joker. "The clothes are his doing."

Zatanna looks at Joker and then gives him her most vicious death glare. "You! I am going to kill you clownie!"

Joker looks at his watch. "Whoops! Time for me to be going I think." He turns round only to turn into a punch from Batman. Joker falls to the ground holding his face. "How did you get free?" he asks incredulously.

"I could have escaped at any time," Batman informs Joker. He then grabs Joker by the lapels of his jacket and picks him up off the ground. "Now where is the gas?" he demands to know.

Joker laughs darkly. "Nearby."

Batman pulls Joker so their faces are millimetres apart. "Where?"

Joker nods his head at his right wrist. "Watch," he says.

Batman narrows his eyes and rips the watch off Joker's wrist. A different watch from he was using earlier. A watch that is counting down and hits zero.

An explosion goes off outside.

Joker laughs some more. "This whole area is littered with miles of tunnels and they are all filled with high explosives and my gas. The prevailing winds will then blow them all across Gotham and there is nothing you can do to stop it Batman!"

More explosions follow, one after another drawing nearer and nearer until one erupts inside the building they are in which Batman assumes has reverted to the factory it was before Ethan twisted reality. As they approach Joker laughs manically in utter rapture at his achievement.

"Leaving might be a good idea!" Xander calls out.

Willow and Zatanna share a look before linking hands, closing their eyes and chanting together. Coloured lights fills everyone's vision and then they find themselves beyond the boundary fence of the factory and its surrounding grounds which are all ablaze as a green eerie gas rises into the sky and like Joker said starts to drift towards Gotham.

"Um anyone got any suggestions?" Xander wonders.

Joker laughs, his full bellied one at the sight. He's won! He has finally won!

"Oh shut the hell up!" Zatanna yells at him before stomping over and right hooking Joker hard. She turns to Bruce. "Batman. You know the gas' properties. Think."

Bruce thinks rapidly. "The gas will become inert if frozen," he mentions off as a way to permanently neutralise it.

"Anyone got a real big freezer?" Cordy queries.

Chloe breaks in over Batman's communicator. "No but I have the next best thing," she says having overheard the conversation. Next thing any of them know is a sonic boom as Clark appears and lands near them. "Batcave said you needed help," he explains as to why he is here.

Clark listens as the situation is explained and nods. "Right. I would stand back," he advises as he soars upward above the green gas and inhales deeply before unleashing a huge blast of his icy cold breath upon it where due to the fact the gas sublimates it changes straight from a gas to huge blocks of ice which plummet to the ground. On top of doing that Clark extinguishes the fires Joker started.

"No!" Joker wails at the sight. "My gas! My precious gas! You guys are just a bunch of party poopers!" Joker then slumps down on the ground looking rather pitiful. "It was all a joke. That's all it was. No-one ever gets it," he says with a whimper now that his plans have been ruined all the fight has left him.

"Oh we got it," Cordy corrects him. "It just wasn't funny."

Batman ties Joker up ready for the police who are already on their way. From the nearest rooftop the whole gang watch as the police take Joker off with the clown still complaining how it isn't fair.

"That's a new look for you Zee," Oliver can't help but tease at the sight of her still dressed up like a jester.

Zatanna glowers at him. "ELOHSSA," she mutters under her breath. Then louder she says "SEHTOLC EGNAHC!" and the jester outfit transforms into her more traditional top hat, tails, stockings and boots. "Much better," she remarks as he looks herself over glad to be out of that stuff Joker put on her when her mind was out to lunch.

"You ok?" Clark asks her.

Zatanna smiles at his concern. "Sure. Apart from what Joker had me wear no damage was done. Although I have a good mind to fry Ethan's mind like he almost did mine."

They all glance at Ethan who is still out lying on the roof behind them. Willow had cast a spell to make sure he would stay that way.

"What do we do with him?" Oliver asks.

"We'll take him with us," Willow answers. "I'll need to bind his powers then...does anyone know a good psychiatrist?" she asks because the mental psychosis she can do nothing about.

"I do," Batman says. "When you're done just bring him back. I know a place for him." He means Arkham.

"What about Joker's gas?" Dinah asks. "What happens when it evaporates?"

"Nothing," Batman tells her. "Once frozen it becomes completely inert due to its components separating from each other. It's harmless now."

"Well then. I call that a good night's work," Bart decides.

"Yep," Oliver says in agreement. "So Bruce do you see the value of teamwork now?" he asks.

"I suppose you were of some help," Bruce says.

Zatanna places her hand over her heart and mocks gasps in surprise. "Was that something nice you said there Bruce?"

He turns his gaze to her. "You should not have been in that situation though."

Zatanna rolls her eyes. "Here we go," she mutters disparagingly. "Look Bruce Ethan caught me by surprise which isn't hard when you think you are falling hundreds of feet," she says in reference to what happened to her.

Zee can remember it all now. Back at the factory in Russia there was the explosion and she was falling through the air and then she was grabbed...magically. Before she could free herself Ethan cast his spell, wiped her memories and dumped her on the streets of Gotham because she had already begun to sense that she wasn't really falling through the air. That everything around her was a magical construct so he got rid of her. She had sensed that in the few seconds she was in his hold.

From there she ended up in the diner and the owner was a kind guy who looked after her and gave her a job right up until Joker burst in and killed him.

Damn psychotic clown. He deserves so much worse than simply being locked up in Arkham which Zee knows is what will be Joker's fate.

Zee turns her attentions back to Bruce. "Look Bruce I know you really go for this lonely warrior thing but face facts. You could not have stopped Joker tonight without help and you know it. Now as for myself I accept there are risks in what I do just like you accept risks. Like Oliver does. Like every one of us here do because we believe that what we do in helping people outweighs the risk so just get off your damn high horse on this issue and while you are at it stop treating me like I'm 12. I am a grown woman unless it escaped your attention."

"You go girl," Buffy says in agreement giving Zatanna some encouragement. Buffy had some jealousy issues with Zatanna around Clark at first she will admit but she can't help but admire the brunette magician's feisty attitude.

"Thanks," Zee says to Buffy. "So Bruce what do you say?"

Bruce can see Zee has that look in her eye that means he can't answer with silence. "Gotham is my number one priority," he iterates forcefully. "However I could not have been at every place Joker had us running to tonight so yes Zee you are right."

"Wow. I need to mark this moment down in my diary," Zee remarks in partial shock at the fact Bruce agreed with her for once.

"So does that mean we might do more work together in the future?" Clark asks Batman. Clark can see how Oliver's idea of them working together is a group can be more effective if they add people with as many different skills and talents as possible. "Because there are bigger things out there we would need to work together to deal with. In fact something bigger is coming very soon."

"Yes. Oliver mentioned this Cythonna," Batman replies. There is silence for a few moments before Bruce says. "You know where to find me." He then walks towards the edge of the rooftop and stops right on the edge. "Take care of yourself Kent," Bruce says before he drops off the edge. They all move to look down and find...nothing. Batman has vanished without a trace.

Clark is the most puzzled of all. "How did he know my name? I never told him my name?" He looks at the rest starting with Oliver.

Oliver holds his hands up in surrender. "Don't look at me. I never told him."

Zatanna shakes her head and actually laughs slightly. "Don't beat yourself up over it Clark. Bruce just knows stuff like that." She then sighs. "And I don't even get a goodbye," she laments at the state of their relationship.

"So I guess that is us," AC says at the fact this seems to be them finished. They have Zatanna back and stopped the insane clown from potentially killing millions of people. A good day's work.

Oliver looks at Arthur. "I guess you want to get away to your meeting," he knows.

"Meeting? What meeting?" Bart asks.

"With the Atlantian Underground," AC answers. The group of Atlantians who he has made contact with which oppose those that overthrew his parents and plan to one day help him take the throne back. There is this one girl amongst them in particular called Mera whom AC wishes to see. There is something about her...AC can't quite find the words but he definitely feels something for her.

"If you ever need our help," Oliver makes the offer.

"I know and thanks but you guys can't breathe underwater," he points out the slight flaw.

"I can hold my breath for a couple of hours," Clark feels he should point out. "If you do need help AC just ask."

Well someone with Clark's power would definitely be a help...one day but they aren't ready to make their move yet. AC gives them all a little salute. "Well I should get going. The harbour is not too far away. I can manage from there. This has been a blast as always." AC heads off across the rooftops.

"Is anyone as lost as I am?" Xander asks at all that.

Oliver answers him. "Short version is that Aquaman is the deposed prince of Atlantis and he is in the process of trying to regain the throne."

"So there really is an Atlantis?" Cordy asks.

Oliver nods. "Yes. It is hidden by a kind of cloaking field which from what AC describes is some sort of combination of science and magic which is why no-one can ever find it unless you know where it is."

Bart yawns at this moment. "Well it is time I was off home. I'll see you guys around." He gives them a little wave and vanishes in a flash of red and gold.

"I think it is time we were all heading home," Oliver says.

Buffy moves over to converse with Xander and Faith. "Is there anything urgent going on or can I...?" she looks over in Clark's direction.

Xander and Faith get it. "Nothing beyond the usual really B," Faith tells her.

"What Faith is saying," Xander feels he needs to clarify. "Is that if you want to go spend time with Clark you can," he says knowing that Buffy probably feels the need to be with Clark right now so they can sort stuff out.

Willow adds "If anything comes up we'll call you."

Willow, Xander and Faith stand next to Ethan before all 4 vanish as Willow teleports them back to slayer HQ where she and a few other wiccas can start the process of permanently binding Ethan's powers.

"Obviously I'm taking the plane back," Cordy realises from this which she is not entirely happy with.

"Leave it to me," Oliver assures her.

Cordy, Oliver, Victor, Zatanna and Dinah depart leaving Clark and Buffy alone on the roof.

"So..." Clark says.

Buffy starts a little shyly unsure exactly how to phrase this. "So...um...I know we have a ton of stuff to talk about and then there is my new powers I guess we need to test or something and I..." she lets out a breath. "For once I really am not sure what to say."

Clark chuckles. "Miracles never cease," he quips at that statement.

Buffy punches him in the shoulder but smiling as she does so.

Clark gently takes Buffy by her arms and rubs them slightly. "Look I do love you and want us to work but can we take this slow?"

"Slow as in...?"

"As in rediscovering each other. It has been months and I know I am not exactly the same person and you..."

"Have a whole bunch of demon power flowing through her."

"There's that and...I know you were grieving Buffy but what I saw you do when I was in your head...That is going to take a little time for me." He doesn't blame her but for Clark that ruthless killing side of her he saw. He needs time to adjust to that.

Buffy's face tightens. She guesses it was silly to think Clark could just get over that. "So how do we take this slow?"

"Call me old fashioned but maybe we could try dating."

"Ok. You're old fashioned."

Clark laughs and Buffy joins him. Clark shakes his head. "I have missed that," he admits to her.

"Yay!" Buffy cheers. "Someone who finally misses my sense of humour. You are perfect dating material so..." her voice becomes more serious here, "yeah we could go on a date or two."

"Great."

"I kind of have no place to stay though," she points out to him.

"You can stay on the farm with me," he offers.

Buffy places a hand on her hip and looks at him sceptically. "That's not exactly taking it slow."

"I was thinking separate bedrooms," he clarifies.

"Oh. Right. Of course," Buffy says as she moves away from what she was assuming there. "So shall we go?"

Clark steps forward and sweeps her up into his arms. "Yes." He then floats up before setting off in the direction of Smallville.

"Can I ask you something?" Buffy says.

"Yes."

"It's about Faith and Xander. I mean my sense of smell is so much better now and I noticed this odd odour on them."

Clark cheeks redden slightly because he knows what that odour was. "Um...you see the thing there is that..."

"What?" Buffy asks completely clueless.

Clark sighs and just gets it over with. "They had sex."

"With each other?" she exclaims.

Clark nods.

"Ew!" Buffy says as she makes a face. She had had that image in her head before the first time Faith mentioned she had had sex with Xander back in good old SunnyD before Faith went evil. She didn't like it then and Buffy doesn't like it now.

"I think it's serious," Clark comments with his opinion on everything he knows about it.

Buffy shakes her head slightly. "Faith is not good at that. She is the screw them, leave them type," she says giving her opinion and expressing concern for Xander's feelings. People Xander gets involved with tend to die.

"People can change," Clark tells her. "You just have to have belief."

Buffy smiles. "You know your sunny attitude doesn't match your dull attire."

Clark frowns slightly. The suit had been starting to bother him slightly. It was dark but he feels like he isn't ready to go back to the red and blue one so he'll keep this one for now. "So I have a question," he mentions to her since she asked one he feels he can ask one.

"Shoot."

"Your first day at school and one of your main concerns is having last month's hair?" he inquires about something he saw in her memories.

"That was a legitimate concern," Buffy says in all seriousness. "You do remember what high school was like right? You're either in fashion or you're an outcast."

"I was always an outsider," Clark tells her. "You know because I was an alien with superpowers. I didn't fit in."

"Oh," Buffy says. Despite what he had told her of his life it had never occurred to her how outcast he might have been.

"Also I didn't know you had an affinity for raincoats."

Buffy's eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets at his reference to when she was under that love spell and appeared before Xander in a raincoat and nothing, absolutely nothing, but a raincoat. "Err...we don't talk about that ever. Ok?"

"Sure," Clark agrees although seeing that beat almost every fantasy he has ever had but if Buffy doesn't want to talk about it. That's fine. There is plenty of other stuff for them to talk about and hopefully they will finally get some time out from all their enemies to do so.

* * *

The next day the guard at the reception desk of Arkham Asylum looks up as this blond woman stands at his desk. "Can I help you?" he asks her.

The woman adjusts a pair of small glasses on her face. "Yes. I'm here to see the individual known as the Joker. I'm the psychiatrist sent by the Prosecutor's office."

The guard almost chokes. The last psychiatrist sent to see Joker left the room in a body bag but it is not his place to question it. "What's the name?"

"Quinzel. Dr Harleen Quinzel but you can call me Harley."

* * *

_Author's Note: I thought I would mention the little bit about Aquaman looking to reclaim his kingdom and for those that don't know Mera is his future wife which is why I added that. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; Time Out as I give our heroes a small breather for them to take stock of everything before Cythonna shows up._


	68. Part 4 Chapter 22: Time Out I

Chapter 22: Time Out I

_Snow falls from the sky in a blizzard making it impossible to see beyond a few feet. She stands there holding her broken arm against herself as she peers into the whiteness looking for...she is not sure what._

_Suddenly there is laughter. She spins round only to spin into an immensely powerful punch which sends her spinning and crashing down into the thick snow that covers the ground. She struggles to move her sore, tired body so to at least face her opponent._

_A powerful hand grabs her by her collar and easily lifts her off the ground and she finds herself staring into her opponents cold icy eyes. Her opponent with bleached white skin and white hair so different from the way she last remembers seeing her._

"_Camille," her own croaky voice speaks her opponent's name._

_The transformed Camille laughs, an empty hollow laugh as if she herself is an empty shell where a person use to be. "You are going to lose you know. You and your lover."_

_Camille gestures in a certain direction and the blizzard eases and coming into view is a tall statuesque woman with equally white skin and hair dressed in a blue outfit. The woman walks toward her dragging a figure in red and blue with a tattered red cape drooped over his head. She can see blood drip down from the she can tell corpse. The red blood is so stark against the white snow which it stains._

_The blizzard eases further and she can see more bodies of the people she knows. The people she loves. Willow. Faith. Xander. Giles. Angel. Cordelia. Dawn and so many more as the storm continues to ease. Hundreds of bodes. Thousands...lying all around her as far as she can see._

_The woman drags the red and blue body and drops it right in front of her. A breeze blows the cape off his face and cerulean blue eyes stare lifelessly up into space. _

_Grief and pain shoot through every fibre of her being. Tears roll down her cheeks as she sobs for the loss of her love. Camille drops her and she crawls over to his body and cradles his head. Out of the corner of her eye she sees the woman manifest a sword in her hand that looks as if it is made of ice. The woman hands it over to Camille and she braces herself for what she knows is next. She closes her eyes and plants a last kiss on her love's lips. I love you Clark," she whispers before the swift sharp and momentary pain hits her as the sword pierces through her body..._

Buffy shoots up in bed breathing heavily. It takes her a few seconds to remember where she is. She is staying on the farm with Clark it comes back to her. She had been here a couple of days now.

She takes a few moments to catch her breath. That was some dream. It was also not an ordinary one. It was a Slayer dream. She hasn't had one of those since...well since before she met Clark. For some reason since then she stopped having the strange possible visions of the future dreams and went back to having normal ones. Well as normal as can be expected considering the nightmares she has seen and fought.

However she can tell the difference and that was a vision-y dream of...Buffy has no idea of what.

No. Wait a second. Buffy does know. The woman. That was Cythonna and she had been dragging Clark's body. It was a vision of their defeat but they are not suppose to lose. Buffy has been to the future where they won. Ok she herself died but the world was saved. That was all that mattered yet why is she seeing something different.

Because things are different she remembers. In that other future she and Clark had their daughter and Buffy had never been given the power she has now. Willow has tried to explain it to Buffy once and then gave up and made her watch the film 'The Butterfly Effect'. You change one thing and you end up changing everything.

And why was Camille in it?

They had never found a trace of Camille after Russia. If she walked off into the wilderness she could not have survived. Not even a slayer could survive that environment.

The problem with Slayer dreams is that they tend to be a mixture of stuff from Buffy's life and of the vision. The trick is separating what is what.

The smell of cooking wafts gently into her room and tickles her nose. Buffy looks at the time and can guess Clark is making breakfast. She decides not to tell him about her dream...yet. Buffy wants some time to think on it and maybe talk to Willow. Yeah. That is what she'll do. She'll phone Will later and see what her red-headed friend makes of it.

Pushing all thought about her dream to the back of her mind for the moment Buffy gets out of bed, the separate guest one, and stretches out a few of her muscles which pop before making her way down to the kitchen. Upon her arrival she notices Clark gazes at her with definite masculine interest at the fact she is wearing one of his shirts she had borrowed as her nightwear. It brings a little flutter to her stomach despite the fact she agreed that they were taking things slowly this time round.

Clark stares at Buffy for several seconds longer than he knows he should. He had decided that they were not rushing back into that level of intimacy because it had been several months since they last saw each other and with everything that has happened to the two of them they both must have changed so they needed to rediscover each other. Still seeing her in his shirt with those legs of hers exposed does have heat rising up inside him. He clears his throat. "Morning," he says.

Buffy sits down at the table with a small sly smile. "Morning," she says back.

"How are you feeling?"

Buffy shrugs. "Fine. Great actually. I don't know what my new powers can really do but I tell you I haven't felt this good in years."

"In what way?" Clark asks seeking clarification.

"As in despite my slayer healing powers the years had been starting to take their toll. You know an ache here and there that never really went away."

Clark looks at her with gentle concern. "You never said," he points out as in she never told him that.

"There wasn't like anything you could do about it Clark. I was simply not blessed with a healing power like you possess. If I was human...god if I was human I would probably have been a cripple by now," she remarks as she takes in all the abuse her body has taken over the years.

Clark goes back to making breakfast for the two of them unhappy at her words. He knows how fragile humans are compared to him and even when he is hurt he heals rapidly but still he had somehow never really applied it to Buffy.

Soon enough he is laying breakfast in front of Buffy making sure it is a large helping. He has noticed these last couple of days that amazingly her appetite has gotten even bigger than it was before. "So what are your plans for today?" he asks her.

Buffy shrugs. "Not too much. Hang around here and practice with my new powers." Buffy felt that along with being close to Clark being here on the farm was a nice isolated place to test out her new powers and to make sure she had total control over them. She may not have to worry about hurting Clark but other people don't get the luxury of being invulnerable. "Phone Will later," she adds. "You know to catch up," she tells him but it will be in fact to plug Will's brain about her Slayer dream. "What about you?" she asks him back.

"I'll do some work on the farm. Maybe do a quick fly around Metropolis before I finish the preparations for our date."

Buffy smiles in eager anticipation. It has been an absolute age since she went out on a normal date. "So want to give a gal a clue about what you are planning?"

Clark shakes his head and smirks. "Nope. I'm keeping it a surprise."

Buffy pouts. "No fair," she complains which makes Clark chuckle.

"Buffy you know that in reality we only ever went on one date," Clark points out. That would be shortly after they first met before the First tried to turn him evil.

"I suppose technically that might be true," Buffy is willing to concede. "But we did have lots of fun on our very much shortened world tour," she argues.

Clark will concede that yes they did but that almost seems like a lifetime ago now. Breakfast is soon made and Clark leaves Buffy to it as he does some work on the farm. Doing farm work was how he spent his time since he has no other job. Chloe keeps pestering him about going back to college and interning at the Planet but Clark's heart has not really been in journalism since Karen was lost.

As he works Clark can hear Buffy turn on the shower and it takes a lot of effort on his part not to remember what she looks like naked with water flowing over her body...

Slow.

They are taking things slow he has to remind himself. Still despite his alien origin and that promise he made to himself he is still a man and Buffy is still the woman he loves so a little fantasising is perfectly normal.

After he has finished Clark is going to need a really really cold shower.

* * *

At the Daily Planet Lois Lane strides towards her desk. As she does so everyone gives her a clear berth due to the fact her mood has been murderous since Oliver dumped her for the blond in the fishnets. As Lois sits down at her desk, now on the 19th floor, she's moving up, she finds Chloe at her desk which is the one next to her on the phone. Now Lois know her cousin well enough to guess who she is talking to from Chloe's facial expressions. When she is on the phone to a source Chloe is all business. When Chloe's lips are curved up into a Smallville-esque goofy grin which gives Clark a run for his money it can only mean Chloe is on the phone to her girlfriend.

Speaking of Clark Lois would have to say she hasn't seen that goofy grin of his since he returned which is a shame. She kind of misses it. Not that Lois will ever admit that. Not even under pain of death.

Lois slides into her chair just as Chloe hangs up. "How is Willow?" she asks her cousin.

Chloe looks at Lois for a second a little surprised Lois knew who she was speaking too but puts it down to that reporter's instinct they share. "Fine. Thanks for asking. How are you doing?"

"Thinking of following you in shunning men," Lois says acerbically.

Chloe lets out a tiny sigh. She wishes there was a way she could make Lois feel better. "Lois. Oliver is a jerk," she points out bluntly. "There is someone out there who is much better for you."

"Maybe or maybe I'll just join Smallville in single-hood."

"Um," Chloe says because she knows Clark and Buffy are sort of back together but she hadn't mentioned that to Lois yet.

"Um what?" Lois asks.

"Well you see Clark and Buffy are kind of trying to work things out between them. In fact he's taking Buffy out on a date tonight."

"This would be the same Buffy who refused to even try and find him for 7 months while you went frantic with worry and we searched all over the planet for him?" Lois says with not all that much respect for the blonde slayer or her actions or lack of.

"Well that's not exactly how it happened," Chloe says in Buffy's defence.

Lois snorts. "Close enough."

Chloe won't say it but considering Lois' recent break-up it may be possible her cousin's opinion is a little bit skewed.

"Why is he trying to work things out with her?" Lois asks.

"Because he still loves her," is Chloe's simple response.

Lois frowns and rests her chin on her hand. Chloe looks at her cousin whom she knows is still quite hurt over Oliver dumping her and comes to a decision. "You know what? We should take the day off," Chloe suddenly announces.

"What?"

Chloe stands up and makes her way over to Lois' desk. "We should take the day off. You know take a 'Time Out' from our lives for 24 hours."

Lois looks at Chloe oddly. Like she can't believe it is her cousin that is actually suggesting that. Chloe was a workaholic.

"What?" Chloe asks at the way Lois is looking at her oddly.

Lois narrows her eyes slightly. "Ok. Who are you and what have you done with my cousin?"

"What?" Chloe repeats a lot more confused than she was before.

"Chloe Sullivan doesn't take days off," Lois argues.

"Of course I do," Chloe argues back.

"Since when? Name one time you voluntarily took a day off?" Chloe opens her mouth to answer but Lois cuts her off by adding, "And you can't include days you went off because of some emergency." Lois just knows Chloe would include those days some hero related emergency came up and her cousin went off to help.

Chloe's jaw snaps shut as she tries to recall a day off she took. A sly smug smile slowly starts to form on Lois' face. "Told ya!" she boasts.

Chloe frowns. "Well I'm taking a day off today," she insists.

"First time for everything I guess," Lois remarks glibly. "Well you have fun with that," Lois tells Chloe before she turns to her computer and starts to work or she does until Chloe flips the monitor off. Lois looks up at her cousin with a unhappy expression. "What are you doing?"

"**We** Lois. I said **we** should take the day off," Chloe repeats her initial assertion.

"I have work to do," Lois insists.

"And has it helped any?"

Now Lois is the one confused. "What?"

"Has it helped any?" Chloe repeats. "You know burying yourself in your work." It had been Lois way of dealing with her and Oliver's break-up.

Lois is about to make some denial about how her break-up has nothing to do with her working hard but finds she just doesn't have the inner strength today to deny it. She leans back in her chair and lets out a sad sigh. "No," she admits.

"Then come take the day off," Chloe repeats. "We can go do anything you want," she offers to Lois.

Lois chews it over for several moments. It wasn't like they had any major story to go after. Her and Chloe aren't quite high enough up the food chain yet to get the really big stories from Perry and Lois is rather fed up feeling sad and lonely and angry. Don't forget angry because one day she is going to as hell make sure Oliver never forgets what an angry Lois Lane looks like but maybe Chloe is right. Maybe one day where she can put all that to the back of her mind and go do something fun might be a good idea. "Alright. I'm in," Lois finally decides to agree with cousin's suggestion.

* * *

In Scotland at Slayer HQ Willow materialises in the command centre in a haze of multicoloured lights as she returns from running an errand.

"You know I think you add the colours on purpose."

Willow turns round to find Xander standing there. "Maybe I do. Maybe I don't," she answers trying to sound mysterious about the nature of her teleporting.

"Did you drop Ethan off?" Xander asks in regards to the errand Willow was on. They had bound his powers and she was dropping Ethan off in Gotham for Batman to deal with.

"Yep. He's off to the place of padded rooms and straight jackets." She takes a few strides towards her friend. "So anything happening?" she inquiries.

Xander shakes his head. "No. It's quiet. Too quiet."

Willow rolls her eyes. "That is so clichéd," she remarks.

"Sometimes clichés are clichés because they're true and in this case I think this applies especially when dealing with our not so friendly Kryptonian goddess."

"No sign of her?"

"Not a solid lead anywhere. Not a peep and no-one is talking."

"No-one?"

"When we try to press a few sources for information they clam up tight and no amount of threats can make them talk. They are more afraid of Cythonna than they are of us."

"They should be," Willow warns darkly.

"Will?" Xander queries at that.

Willow waves it off. "It's nothing really. It is just remember I got a vision of a future where Cythonna won and it wasn't pretty."

"Way to give us hope Will," Xander says sarcastically.

"I try," she says with joky false modesty. There is a moment of silence. "So you and Faith huh?" she asks. She has been meaning to ask earlier but binding Ethan's powers and dropping him off in Gotham had kept her busy.

"How did you know about that?" Xander asks her. He had been trying to keep it secret because he just wanted a short period of time where he could enjoy something without the teasing and the hassle and everything else that goes along with living here.

"I was passing her room last night," Willow explains. "And we seriously need to invest in sound proofing." Besides even if she hadn't heard them Willow had spotted how close the two of them had gotten this last year. Sooner or later she guessed they would hook up to use the phrase.

Oh Xander gets it now. Willow heard him and Faith...he coughs. "Right so how upset are you?"

Willow laughs. "Why would you think I am upset?"

"Well it's Faith and all the stuff she did and..."

Willow brushes all that off. "Xander if any of us held grudges over the things we have done we would never talk to each other ever again."

"Good point," Xander concedes.

"Are you happy?" Willow asks seriously.

"Yes."

"Then that is all that matters."

"When did you get so wise?"

Willow narrows her eyes slightly. "I'm not certain but I think I should take offence at that implication."

"What implication?" Xander asks innocently.

"Don't push it Xander," Willow gently warns him. He was implying that she wasn't always so wise.

Xander smirks ever so slightly.

Willow moves on. "So there's nothing for me to do then," she assumes from it being quiet.

"Not really. If you wanted to you could take some 'Time Out'. Go spend some time with Chloe. I mean from what we know Cythonna's rise isn't for at least a couple of months yet so maybe we should take advantage of the calm while we can."

"I don't know," Willow says unsure that is entirely wise.

"Will if something comes up I'll call you," Xander promises her.

"Well I guess I could," Willow supposes. On second thoughts is she nuts? Is she really going to turn down spending time with the woman she loves. Willow's thoughts are interrupted by her phone going off. She fetches it out of her pocket and checks the caller id. "Hey Buffy," she answers it. "What's up?"

Xander watches Willow's expressions goes through several reactions at what Buffy is saying.

"You sure?" Willow asks. "It wasn't just a normal dream?...No. Ok give me 10 minutes and I'll be right there." Willow ends the call.

"What's wrong?" Xander asks.

"Hmm," Willow says as Xander breaks her train of thought. "Oh Buffy had a slayer dream."

Xander frowns up in puzzlement. "I thought she stopped getting those."

"She did but...well who knows what changes she has gone through," Willow says in reference to whatever happened to Buffy. She still had not gotten the full story yet.

"Need any help?"

Willow shakes her head. "Nah. At least not until I speak to her in person first but assuming it isn't end of the world serious I'm going to take your advice as well. I'll teleport over to the farm and then go stay with Chloe. I'm just going to go pack a few things."

Xander nods as Willow departs. A few minutes after that as he stands there looking at all the monitors two slender but powerful arms wrap around him from behind.

"There you are stud," a voice huskily whispers into his ear.

So much for keeping it low profile and secret Xander thinks to himself as the other slayers in the room look at him and Faith with curious interest. He can already see the gossip line starting. "Hello Faith," Xander says with a bit of a resigned sigh at this.

Faith wanders round to his side. "Soooo," she says drawing out the word to a totally unnecessary length. "Busy?" she asks with an all too obvious hint at what answer she wants. That is no so she can drag him off back to bed.

"Would it make a difference?" Xander asks dryly.

A sultry smile forms on Faith's face. "Depends. You know how riled up slaying gets me so if it's urgent I'm available."

"I can't believe I am about to say this but you do remember I am only your normal, fragile, not in possession of any kind of superpowers human being right? I need...recovery time."

"Oh I don't think you do," Faith tells him as she runs her hand down his chest towards lower extremities and she gets the reaction she wants so before Xander can utter a word of protest Faith grabs him by his shirt and is physically dragging him from the room. Faith has been waiting far too damn long for this and she is damn well sure going to squeeze out every moment of happiness she can get.

* * *

Elsewhere, in Star City to be precise, horrible bright light wakes Oliver up from his sleep. "Close those curtains," he demands from his bed.

"No," an amused feminine voice replies.

Oliver cracks an eye open to see Dinah standing there silhouetted against the window. God is she beautiful. "Come on Dinah. Have mercy. I had a late night," he whines feebly.

"So did I. I was there with you," she reminds him as they are now both a crime fighting couple as well as an actual one.

Oliver pulls a pillow over his head causing Dinah to roll her eyes at him. What is it exactly that she sees in him again she asks herself. She marches over to the bed and grabs an exposed foot and starts pulling him out from under his covers.

"Hey!" Oliver protests vigorously as he manages to slip her grip.

Dinah huffs slightly and places her hands on her hips. "Come on Ollie. You need to get up and go make an appearance at work," she tells him.

Oliver finally sits himself up. "Or how about another suggestion?" he offers.

"What?" Dinah asks him.

He uses his finger to gesture for her to come closer which Dinah does. Big mistake as Oliver grabs her and throws her down onto the bed where he pins her down and kisses her. He then lifts his head slightly. "I was thinking we could spend the day right here. You and me," he tells her.

Well Dinah won't say that the idea is not at least a little appealing but...in a quick movement she flips Oliver off of her and is off the bed and back on her feet. "Sorry. I promised to spend today with Zee. She needs a 'Time Out' after what happened with Ethan," she tells him. "And you know the CEO of Queen Industries really does need to look like he does some work now and again."

"I do plenty work," Oliver protests against her insinuation.

"Sure you do Ollie," Dinah says with immense sarcasm.

"I do!" he insists.

"Sure I believe you," Dinah says insincerely as she starts to walk off.

Oliver chases after her. "I do!" he repeats his insistence as he follows Dinah into the hallway not realising that he has done the very thing Dinah wanted and that was to get him out of bed.

* * *

"What time is it?" a very sleepy Cordelia Chase asks her boyfriend, the former ensouled vampire Angel.

"Early," is his less than precise answer as he turns over to his side and snuggles up under the covers of their bed.

Cordy focuses her eyes on Angel's form. It has now been close to a year since her resurrection and her and Angel's declaration of love for each other and it had been great. Oh sure Angel still spent far too much time brooding about things but on the plus side since he was no longer a vampire she has finally been able to get him out into the sun and get some colour into him.

Cordy shifts over and wraps her arms around him and plants a kiss on his cheek. Angel cracks an eye open and gazes at the beauty that is Cordy and she is beautiful at any time of day. "Cordy is something wrong?" he asks her.

"No. Why do you think that?"

"You're looking at me."

Cordy smiles. Angel was such a goof. "And naturally you assume something is wrong. Did it ever occur to you I just like looking at the man I love?"

Angel's brow furrows. "Um...no. Not really."

"I can see we still have much work to do with you."

Angel worries every time she says that because no doubt it will involve something he doesn't want to do but Cordy thinks will be good for him and...ok so 90% of the time she is right but that doesn't mean he has to be entirely happy about it.

"We'll take the day off," Cordy decides.

"Really?"

"Definitely. I mean it's kind of quiet at the moment and maybe we should take a 'Time Out' from fighting the good fight. Even Champions get days off right?"

"You're the one with the link to the Powers," he reminds her so she should know better than him if the PTBs will give them a break.

"That's a one way thing," Cordy points out where they send her visions but she doesn't get any say in it whatsoever.

Angel closes his eyes and tries to get back to sleep. He may not be quite human but he needs sleep like one.

"Angel," Cordy says his name.

"What?"

"Day off?" she asks seeing if he agrees to her idea.

"As long as it starts with a lie in," he says.

Cordy opens her mouth to give her agreement when muffled shouts penetrate the gloom of the room.

"OH DAWN!"

"OH CONNOR!"

"Oh brother," Cordy mutters because it didn't take a genius to work out what those two were up to...again. Cordy briefly wonders if Buffy knows what Dawn is getting up to with Connor then realises probably not as Buffy hasn't come to try and kill Connor or at least castrate him.

Angel pulls a pillow over his head because that is simply too much information he does not want to know about what his son is doing. "We have got to soundproof those walls," he says because this was an old hotel and its walls were paper thin or it seemed that way. "You know who needs a 'Time Out'," Angel adds. "Those two from each other so we can get a break from listening to it."

"Now don't be grouchy," Cordy tells him. "They're young and in love. It's only natural."

Angel peers out from under his pillow. "Ok who are you and what have you done with Cordelia?" he asks at the easy way she is accepting this.

Cordy gently slaps him. "It's still me Angel but I was thinking."

"About?"

Cordy grins evilly. "How turnabout is fair play."

Now that is the Cordelia Chase he knows and fell in love with as he pounces on her.

* * *

On a normally deserted island a figure sits on some rocks at the shore line as waves gently crash into it below. The figure sitting there is AC as he thinks on everything. His life in general and the last meeting he had with the Atlantian Underground. It is still slightly weird for him to imagine himself as a prince.

AC has actually been sitting here for awhile, taking a small 'Time Out' to coin a phrase. Everyone needs to do that every so often.

He gazes down into the blue sea and spots a figure swimming just below the surface. A figure with long red hair who soon breaks the surface just below him and AC is pretty sure his mouth hangs open as the water pours off her shapely frame. "Mera?"

"Your highness," Mera says back with reverence to the only figure she recognises as having that title and right to rule over Atlantis.

AC shakes his head ruefully. "I have asked you not to call me that," he gently reminds her.

Mera cocks her head slightly and looks at him. "What else am I to call you Prince Orin?"

That is almost as bad AC thinks to himself. "You could try AC as my friends do or I would even take Arthur."

"Those are your Surface World names?" Mera inquiries having never heard them before.

"Yes."

"But that is inappropriate to address a member of the royal family in such a way," Mera argues.

"Perhaps in Atlantis but I was not brought up there."

"Mores the pity as we have been left with your uncle ruling."

It was AC's father's brother that usurped the throne and resulted in him ending up being hidden up here. Seeing he is not winning this debate with the beautiful and intriguing redhead AC moves onto another issue. "What are you doing here?"

Mera stutters and stammers a bit here as in truth she followed him because...well she isn't sure why. She just had a feeling she should. "Well...your highness...you see...after our meeting I saw you head off in not your usual direction and I was..."

"Curious?" AC offers with a kind smile. Mera nods. "There is nothing wrong in curiosity Mera. I just came here to be by myself and think."

"I see. Well in that case I'll go."

"Stay," AC says stopping her.

"I do not wish to intrude."

AC smiles at her. "You are not intruding. Come and sit with me." Mera hesitates. "If it makes you more comfortable I could make that an order from your Prince."

Mera climbs up and sits next to him.

"Do you come up here often?" AC asks her.

"To the Surface World?"

"Yes."

"No your highness. Your uncle forbade anyone to come up here so our world would not be contaminated by the Surface World."

"The world is connected Mera. It is impossible to cut yourself off from it completely."

"You speak much wisdom."

AC snorts. "Not really. I have just travelled a lot and seen a lot and I may have been listening to the Boy Scout too often," he says because that sounded like something Clark could have said.

"This Boy Scout...he is one of your friends?" Mera queries.

"Yes. I mentioned them didn't I? The group I am part of?"

"Yes your highness." There is a moment of silence before Mera asks "Was it lonely? Growing up amongst kin that were not your own."

"It was," he admits. "But then again we are all lonely. Impulse was a run away. Arrow, Magician and Canary lost their parents as a kids. Cyborg had everything taken from him and the Boy Scout..."

"What about him?"

"He is probably the loneliest of us all and you know I don't usually sound this deep. It must be the company I'm keeping."

A very faint blush comes to Mera's cheeks at that. "I'm sure his highness is exaggerating."

"Perhaps."

"Your friends do sound most interesting," Mera tells him. His highness had told her of their varying powers and abilities and skills and she found it fascinating.

"One day I'll introduce you to them," AC promises her.

"Your highness should not trouble himself."

"It's no trouble...well except for Impulse." Bart is always trouble and always constantly telling the fish jokes.

They sit in silence and Mera takes a moment or two to admire her prince's striking features. She knows she should not even let her thoughts stray into this area even for a second. After all he is a Prince and what is she in comparison to that but she just finds him so interesting and she feels...she feels emotions for him she has never felt for anyone else.

"May I ask something of you?" AC requests of Mera.

"Anything your highness," Mera replies.

"Tell me of Atlantis. Describe it for me," AC asks of her as he himself has never been there in his whole life. Well he thinks he must have been there when he was a baby but he can't remember it.

As Mera talks AC listens in silence but does undertake one action. He takes her hand and holds it and as he does so he thinks maybe that this is the hand he is suppose to hold, perhaps for the rest of life.

* * *

_Author's Note: I decided to show little titbits of lots of people's days as they take a 'Time Out' or chose to take one so to speak. Thanks to everyone who wrote review. Next up; Time Out part 2 which will include Clark and Buffy's date._


	69. Part 4 Chapter 23: Time Out II

Chapter 23: Time Out II

So it is nearing lunchtime and Clark was doing what he said he would do after finishing work on the farm and that is doing a quick fly around Metropolis. As he does so mentally checks off what he has and has not got ready for his and Buffy's date.

Clark knows that his attention is somewhat caught in between different issues. Buffy on the personal front and the more professional front Cythonna. Clark has not talked to anyone about this but he has been thinking for awhile about how he defeats Cythonna. He knows that in the future they went to he did but how did he do it because Clark can't see anyway for it to end but with him killing Cythonna.

Now Clark is generally an optimistic guy...or he use to be but somehow he doesn't think clever rhetoric is going to dissuade Cythonna from her course of action and if he beats her in combat the next question arises is what to do with her. No normal prison can hold her. She is a goddess after all. Clark isn't even certain the Phantom Zone could hold her so again where does that leave him except to kill her if it is even possible to kill her and it may not be so to sum it up it leaves Clark with lots of questions and few answers. He should have asked how he did it when they were in the future but he got distracted. Evil Willow. Needing to find a way back. Doomsday. Karen...

Clark shakes his head slightly as he pushes the sad thoughts around his daughter aside. As for right here and now Clark doesn't even know what Cythonna is up to or where she is and believe him he has tried to find her using all of his senses but it may well be possible that with her power she can block them and make it impossible for him to find her which basically leaves him waiting around for a couple more months until her scheduled appearance.

The sound of screeching tyres and people's screams suddenly grabs his attention. This looks like a job for the Blur. As he shoots off across the city a single thought echoes around his head; 'I need a better name.'

* * *

A few minutes earlier down below in the streets of Metropolis Chloe and Lois are taking a break from their...break and having lunch outside this little café they both love.

Chloe would say her idea about taking the day off is working as there is the very smallest hint of a smile on Lois' face after they have spent the morning indulging in that favourite pastime; shopping.

Right now they are simply waiting for their lunch to be brought to them when a loud banging sound catches both women's attention. They both look down the street just as a tanker truck comes barrelling towards them obviously completely out of control with at least one burst tyre. The driver then hits the brakes, causing the tyres to screech, which is just the worse idea right there as the tanker jackknifes and then rolls onto its side and is still coming right at them.

People around them panic and scream and Chloe and Lois are just about to make a run for it when a black blur flies out of the sky. The two cousins watch on as Clark brings the tanker to a stop using his immense strength but at the same time is gentle enough so as to not puncture the tanker and release whatever is inside.

A thought flutters through Lois' head as she watches Clark do this is that that was kinda hot...and then she gives herself a quick mental slap for ever thinking that about Clark.

Clark quickly checks the tanker over and can see that fortune has smiled down on them today as it is not ruptured or leaking. He then turns his attention to the driver as he zips round to the cab to see how badly injured the man is.

"There goes our day off," Chloe realises as she watches Clark help the driver because she and Lois are going to have to write this up. When she gets no response from Lois Chloe turns her head to look at her cousin and can see that tiny little expression of awe that Chloe herself still gets from time to time when you see Clark do something you think is impossible. "Lois," she repeats her cousin's name.

That finally snaps Lois back to the present. "Um...err...What?"

Sirens fill the air as the emergency services near. Clark having made sure the driver is in a stable condition takes this as his cue to leave since he can't be sure how exactly he will be reacted to. He is certain once upon a time he had a slightly more optimistic view of people and that they would react positively to him but that was before. Now he is conflicted and uncertain and doesn't chance it as he flies off into the sky hearing as he does so a few audible gasps of surprise at that particular ability of his.

Ok Lois will have to admit to herself that that flying thing really is hot and this time she won't try to mentally slap the thought away.

"Lois," Chloe finds herself having to say again.

Lois turns her head to look at her cousin. "What?"

Chloe looks closely at her cousin and can swear there is a slight red tint to Lois' cheeks. Oh geez is Lois blushing because of Clark?

'Good grief is there no woman on earth that doesn't end up crushing on Clark at some point,' Chloe wonders to herself.

* * *

Back at the farm Willow had arrived as she promised and now she and Buffy are up in Clark's little hideaway of the loft of the barn sitting on the old worn couch as Buffy describes her dream to her red-headed friend.

"Interesting," Willow remarks.

Buffy rolls her eyes at that oh so unhelpful comment. "In what way Will is that interesting? We all die!"

"I know Buffy. I had a similar vision if you recall."

"So what does it mean?" Buffy asks hopeful Willow can shed some light on this.

"Don't have a clue."

"Well can't you do your witch-y thing and meditate or read my mind or something?"

"I can do all the meditating in the world but that won't help me read you."

"Why not?"

"Didn't Clark tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Buffy I can't do magic on you any longer. Your...transfiguration has altered your aura so that it repels magic."

"Huh?" Buffy says utterly clueless at what Willow just said.

"You've turned into the magical equivalent of a non-stick frying pan. Magic sort of...slides around you."

"That Fate guy managed it," Buffy argues.

"Yeah well he is a master sorcerer," Willow points out.

"And you are an über-witch."

"That doesn't mean I know or understand everything Buffy. The power that was poured into you...I don't know what it is or where the Shadow Men got it from. I never did know what it was."

"But you did that activation spell," Buffy reminds Willow when she activated all the slayers.

"Yes exactly. It was an activation spell. I simply awoke the power that was lying dormant within. I never understood the exact nature of the power."

"So there is nothing you can tell me?"

Willow lets out a breath. "I'm not sure I can separate what is what Buffy. What part was just the dream...a manifestation of your own fears and what part was the slayer vision."

Buffy frowns. That is not very helpful. "What about Camille?" she asks in reference to the fallen slayer. "I mean we never did find a trace of her."

"I guess your dream could be a warning that she is still alive," Willow is willing to accept. "We could phone Xander and get him to have the cells to do a search. They aren't having much luck with finding Cythonna anyway."

"Still no solid leads?"

"No leads...period," Willow summarises the situation.

"So we have no idea where she is. No idea what she is planning except at some point in the next 2 months roughly she will appear and try to take over the world. That about right?"

"Pretty much."

"So just the normal then," Buffy tries to joke as with many of their Big Bads they didn't figure out the plan until it was almost too late.

Willow laughs. "Yeah. Pretty much."

Buffy joins in the laughter.

"So," Willow starts to say as she reins on her laughter. "What actually happened to you?" she asks since Buffy still hasn't told Willow precisely what happened to her in Russia or afterwards with what transpired with Clark when he took Buffy to see Dr Fate.

"Oh that's a long story."

"I have nowhere else to be at the moment."

* * *

When Clark lands back at the farm after returning from Metropolis his hearing quickly picks up the fact Buffy is not alone. He quickly zips into the house to change and reappears in a grey shirt and black jeans since his wardrobe has still not returned to its previous domination of primary red and blue.

Clark then makes his way into the barn and up the stairs. At seeing him Buffy's face lights up. "Hey. You're back!"

"Yep. Hi Willow," Clark greets the redhead.

"Hi Clark," Willow says back. "Heard about your heroics on the radio," she mentions while pointing at the old radio sitting on the shelf which had reported about the tanker and the Blur swooping in to save the day.

"Oh that. That was nothing," Clark says with his usual modesty. "So what brings you here?" Clark asks Willow.

At that question Buffy shoots Willow a look that says for her not to mention Buffy's dream. Buffy doesn't want to let Clark know about that just at the moment. Willow catches it and says instead, "I'm taking a little 'Time Out' from the madness. I'm going to go and surprise Chloe later but I decided to drop in on Buffy first. You know to see how she was doing."

"Ah," Clark says. "Well she keeps breaking everything. I had to get a new toaster because she squashed my old one," he decides to mention about her still learning to control her new strength albeit with a light teasing tone.

"Pft! That thing was knackered anyway," Buffy says dismissively picking up Clark's teasing tone and running with it. "Besides I don't get why you even have a toaster Mr I shoot fire from my eyes."

"Because not everyone can shoot fire from their eyes," Clark points out meaning his mother and other people who may drop by who may not know about his powers and he has to put on the act of being normal.

Willow has to smile at the playful banter. She thinks it is a good sign for how Clark and Buffy are getting on or she hopes it is. She and Buffy had not really had a chance to talk about how things are going between Clark and Buffy. "So Buffy was telling me about your trip through her head," she mentions to Clark.

"Yeah. That was scary," Clark says with a mock shudder.

"What part exactly?" Buffy queries.

"Prom dress," Clark says back trying to suppress his smirk and failing miserably.

Willow laughs loudly. "Oh my god! I remember that dress."

Buffy rolls her eyes. "Yeah. Yeah. Everyone loved the dress."

Willow smiles at her friend's discomfort. "So you got to see good old SunnyD then," Willow says to Clark.

"I guess I did."

"What period exactly did you journey through?"

"Oh from Buffy's first day at school until..." he trails off and looks at Buffy unsure whether she is comfortable with him telling this.

"Until that summer I ran away after I stopped Angel," Buffy finishes off.

"You saw all that?" Willow asks Clark.

Clark shakes his head. "Not all of it. I tended to skip through it so I only saw some of it in any detail."

Willow nods in understanding. Just before Clark walked in Buffy was explaining how she controlled a lot of it to try and scare Clark off so he didn't find out what she had done in the months after they split up. Willow can guess she can understand where Buffy's reasoning came from. Truth be told Willow didn't like to think on it in too much detail what Buffy did and she was there during that time. Buffy had told her that because of that Clark was wanting to take things slowly.

"So now that you're here you want to come shopping with me for a outfit for my date?" Buffy asks of Willow.

"Sure. What kind of outfit?"

Buffy glares at Clark. "Well it would help if someone would let me in on some details," she snarks at Clark's insistence on secrecy surrounding their date.

Clark ponders this and decides to give her a hint. "I would say go with something semi-formal."

"Oh wow gee. You are just a big help aren't you," she says with a lot of not so subtle sarcasm.

"It's part of my charm," he quips while sounding like he is being perfectly serious.

* * *

A short time later in Metropolis in an off the main thoroughfare alley a blur comes to a stop revealing itself to be Buffy and Willow. Buffy had thought her running them here would be the easiest and quickest way. She places Willow down.

"Ok so where first?" Buffy asks as to where they should go first to look for an outfit.

Willow holds up her hand gesturing for Buffy to wait for a moment or at least until Willow's stomach catches up with them. "Ok first we are never doing that again!" she complains still feeling nauseous. "And second how fast can you move now anyway?"

Buffy shrugs. "Not sure precisely but Clark thinks I max out somewhere between 350 and 400 mph."

Willow takes a second to absorb that. "How is everything going? You know with your powers?"

"I almost feel like I did the day I first became a slayer you know. I spent a lot of the first day at the farm repeating the first lesson Merrick gave me."

Willow tries to remember whether Buffy ever mentioned what that was. "Is that the egg thing?" she asks.

Buffy nods. That is precisely what it was. First lesson she got when she became a slayer was learning to control her strength by performing the supposed simple task of picking up an egg. She went through dozens of them before she managed to pick one up without crushing it and it was the same when she tried it at the farm. Took her quite a few hours before she managed to pick one single egg up. From there you move forward to tossing it in the air and catching it without breaking it. It is all about relearning how fragile objects are relative to her. She is a lot better than she was a couple of days ago.

* * *

A few hours and many shops later and Buffy has her outfit. Since Willow is going to go and surprise Chloe Buffy and Willow says their goodbyes in an alley opposite the Daily Planet building before Buffy zips off back to Smallville. The goodbye involves the inevitable too tight hug which is even tighter than Willow remembers it being.

"Buffy...too tight," Willow manages to choke out.

Buffy lets Willow go. "Sorry."

Willow waves Buffy off. "No problem. Some things never change," she remarks as Buffy, even before her recent changes, always hugged too tight.

Buffy manages a smile at that which is actually hiding the fact her nerves have started to kick in. Clark had been correct before that she and him really only have one proper date and her mind has started to work through the what ifs. What if she messes this up? What if the spark she and Clark had isn't there anymore? Sure they said they still loved each other but that doesn't necessarily mean anything.

"You're thinking about the what ifs aren't you," Willow can assume from Buffy's expression. She shakes her head. "Buffy you and Clark aren't novice teenagers embarking on your first relationship. You've been through crap most people can't imagine."

"I guess I am being a little silly aren't I," Buffy will admit.

"No. You are being you. Stop worrying about the negatives and just focus on having a good time tonight."

Buffy lets out a breath and tries to calm her nerves. "I'll try."

"Good."

"I'll phone you later," Buffy tells Willow before zipping away in a blur blowing Willow's hair about as she leaves. "That must get annoying," Willow remarks out-loud as she fixes her long red hair. Willow then blows out her own breath before she makes her way across the street and into the Planet to surprise Chloe.

Up on the 19th floor Chloe is just reaching the end of her day after working with Lois to write the latest 'Blur' story. So much for her day off she actually grumbles to herself. Lois was right in one sense. Chloe can be a workaholic but she had enjoyed her morning off with Lois. Now Chloe is not blaming Clark or anything. It wasn't like he made that tanker topple over. It just seems like the universe likes to throw something like this up in front of Chloe when she least wants it.

Chloe takes a break from looking at her computer screen and spots Lois looking at her weirdly with this subtle little smile on her face. "What?" Chloe asks her cousin.

Lois nods her head to indicate for Chloe to look behind her. Chloe's eyebrows knit together as she swings round in her chair to be greeted by the sight of "Will!"

Chloe's whole face lights up at the sight of her girlfriend as she literally jumps out of her chair and plants a kiss on Willow.

A wolf whistle echoes around. Lois rolls her eyes. "Get a life Lombard!" Lois tell off the former pro-football player turned sports reporter. The guy was a chauvinist dinosaur from the 80s. He even had the stupid moustache to go with it.

"You want to help me with that Lane," Steve Lombard says while giving Lois a leering look.

Lois snorts. "In your dreams!"

* * *

That evening Buffy comes down the stairs all dressed up to find Clark waiting at the bottom of the stairs. He is dressed up in a shirt with the top button open and formal trousers. Obviously his version of semi-formal. God he looks good. It might seem impossible but Buffy had forgotten just how good Clark could look when he puts the effort in. As she nears the bottom of the stairs she finds Clark looking at her with a lot of surprise on his face at what she is wearing. "What?"

Clark points at her up and down. "You're in a dress."

It wasn't a formal dress or anything. He told her to avoid that but yeah it was a dress. A sky blue one, as she knows that that is his favourite colour, that goes past her knees. Now normally Buffy isn't the type to wear a dress but she remembered when he was in her head he made the comment that she looked pretty in her prom dress and while he could have been making a joke like everyone else did at the time Buffy has this feeling that in actuality Clark liked the way she looked. Buffy does a little twirl to show it off. "What do you think?" she asks his opinion.

"Wow. I mean...just...wow. You look...very pretty."

Buffy smiles. She's still got it if the look on Clark's face is proof. "So do I get any clue as to what you are planning now?" she queries.

"Well...alright. It's in 2 parts. The first part is dinner since I know you will never turn down the offer of food."

Buffy's face lights up slightly in interest as soon as food is mentioned.

Clark continues. "The 2nd part I will keep as a surprise for now."

"Boo," Buffy says with a joky pout.

Clark chuckles and can't stop himself from giving her a light kiss only so as not to ruin her lipstick.

"You know kisses usually come at the end of dates," she points out.

"Didn't take you as a traditionalist."

"I'm not." Buffy brushes her hand down the front of his shirt. "I'm just glad you still have your sense of humour."

"I didn't...after we broke up. I was really kind of...miserable."

Buffy can hear the pain and guilt in his voice. That was something they had not talked about yet. What both of them did during the months they were apart. "Can we not talk about that tonight?" she asks of him. "Because I would like a nice happy date."

Clark nods in agreement although he knows one day they will have to talk about this. "Sure," he says. "Shall we go?"

"We shall. Lead on Macduff!"

"Actually its is Lay on, Macduff," Clark corrects Buffy. "They are part of Macbeth's last words in Shakespeare's play."

Buffy shakes her head and walks past him. "You could just let one go you know," she grumbles as she recalls several other occasions he corrected her like that.

Clark lets out a breath and gives himself a small mental slap for that. Not the best start to their date but he's nervous. He grabs his jacket and heads off after her.

* * *

It is a quick fly to Metropolis later that Buffy finds herself walking into a nice Italian restaurant. Not a really expensive one but nowhere near being cheap either. The food they have is fine and all but as they eat Buffy comes to realise the problem her and Clark's relationship has at the moment. Sure she loves him. That hasn't changed. It is when they are talking during the course of dinner the problem shows up. They are talking to each other but are not really talking. They are talking about other things. The weather, stuff on the news, politics, anything but themselves.

Buffy knows she comes across as a bit of an airhead at times but lets face reality as Willow said earlier in the day she isn't a teenager anymore. She is in her mid 20s and has been through relationships with issues the size of Kansas. Maybe she is just hoping for too much too soon but as it stands she feels like there is a wall between her and Clark. One he isn't willing or ready to pull down just yet. Ok yeah so the deep heavy stuff she doesn't want to talk about just yet but Clark isn't giving her anything.

Once dinner is over and they leave the restaurant Buffy wonders what the second part of this date involves especially as Clark shepherds her to a quiet spot. He then wraps one powerful arm around her petite waist and shoots off upward until they are high above the city.

"What are we doing?" she asks him.

"I once told you how I thought Metropolis looked its best at night," he says and then gestures out at the city below them.

Buffy looks down and she does have to admit the city does look spectacular. She wraps her arms around his neck and rests her head on his shoulder as they float across the city.

Clark wraps his arms all the way around Buffy and holds her tight. He isn't completely oblivious to the fact that this date hasn't exactly been a rousing success. He and Buffy are still a little awkward around each other. He thinks perhaps that the blame lies on his shoulders more than Buffy's but he saw a lot when he was in her mind and he still needs time to come to terms with it all.

It comes in patches. Some moments they banter like nothing happened. Other moments they struggle for stuff to say.

More time. He just needs to give it more time or at least he hopes that is all it needs.

A loud piercing scream, well loud to him, breaks into his consciousness. In an instant he has zipped off in the direction it came from and he lands at the entrance of an alley before Buffy, even for all her newly acquired speed, has even quite realised they had moved.

"Clark. What...?" she queries.

He nods in the direction if down the alley. "Vampire," he explains. "Do you want to...? Or will I?"

Buffy sighs. She can't get one night to herself can she. "No. I've got it," she decides. She stomps down the alley, fishes out Mr Pointy, her favourite stake, from where she strapped it to her thigh to find a poor terrified girl about to be chomped down by a fairly nondescript vampire. She zips forward, grabs the vamp by its shoulder and flings it back and it crashes into some trash cans.

The vamps gets back to its feet and growls at her. It sniffs the air at her odd scent. "What are you?"

Buffy grins that cold grin of hers when she is about to lay some serious smack-down and strides forward. "Slayer comma The. Look it up."

The vamp growl louder. "Slayer," it hisses before leaping at her.

Buffy almost has time to yawn as the movements are now so slow compared to her. She catches the vamp in mid-air and holds it in an iron grip. "That really the best move you got?" she mocks.

The vamp looks at her with a confused expression. Slayers were strong but they were not this strong. Unfortunately for it the vamp doesn't get long to dwell on it before Buffy slams the stake into its heart and it turns to dust in her hand. That done Buffy turns her attention to the vamps almost victim.

* * *

Some time later after Buffy has escorted the girl home she and Clark end up standing on rooftop opposite the girl's apartment. "Some date huh?" she remarks.

"Will the girl be alright?" he asks Buffy.

"Yeah. We got there in time." Buffy then shakes her head.

"What?" Clark asks at that.

"I don't want to say as I would end up commenting on the stupidity of people."

"What?" Clark asks again utterly lost.

Buffy sighs. "She knew that guy was a vampire and she voluntarily went down a dark alley with him."

"Why?"

"Those stupid Twilight novels!" Buffy complains loudly.

"Oh."

"I'm telling you Clark. That Stephenie Meyer has a lot to answer for. I mean sparkling vampires. How ridiculous is that. Anyway the girl had it in her head that vamps are like that Edward guy. All cute and cuddly or something and not the soulless undead things that they really are. It's a conspiracy I'm telling you. To turn me into the bad guy and vamps into the good guys. It's probably the First's doing!" Buffy rants.

Clark takes a more conciliatory line. "How was she suppose to know any different Buffy. It isn't like you advertise what it is you do or the truth about beings like vampires."

"People don't want to know the truth Clark. Trust me. They like to lead their lives and not think about what horrors live in the dark."

"Maybe that is something that needs to change," Clark says airing his thoughts.

Buffy looks at Clark oddly. From the couple of days she had been staying with him she had seen this dichotomy in his personality. At times she sees the Clark she remembers. The good, kind, caring and occasionally funny man. Other times she sees something a little darker in him. He admitted that during the months they were apart he...well what did he do. She only got some vague admittance that he kind of stood by on the other side so to speak while people suffered.

So here's another one of their problems. He saw what she became and is trying to come to terms with it. She hasn't seen what he became and therefore has no hope of coming to terms with it until he lets her back in and lets her see what he became. Having no immediate idea how to get Clark to do that Buffy asks a question on the subject of the rescue they pulled off. "How did you know that girl was in trouble?"

"I heard her screams," he answers like it is the most obvious thing in the world.

"Really?" Buffy says with some surprise. "I didn't."

Clark shrugs. "Your hearing is better than what it was but I can hear everything. Your hearing isn't that good."

"So is that how you spend your time? You just listen for trouble and then swoop in and save the day?"

"More or less."

An idea strikes Buffy. She wants Clark to let her in. A way to start that may be to understand what it is he does now with his life. "I want to help."

"What?"

"You. I want to help you...with your hero...thing-y," she explains.

Clark arches an eyebrow. "My hero thing-y?" he repeats sounding a tad insulted at the slightly demeaning way she is describing it.

"You know what I mean. I want to see what it is you do. So what do you say?"

Clark looks at her for several moments trying to work out if she is serious or not.

"Well?" she asks a little impatient for an answer.

"Hmm. I'm not sure."

"About?" she seeks him to clarify.

"There is an awful lot of paperwork involved in having a sidekick."

"Sidekick?" Buffy exclaims extremely insulted at being called that. "Listen to me pal I ain't no-one's sidekick and..." she trails off as Clark's lips curve up into a smile. "You are totally pulling my leg aren't you."

Clark bursts out laughing and for his trouble Buffy hits him which does sting a bit by the way. "I'm sorry," he says in between laughs. "I couldn't help myself." It was just too easy a mark to wind her up.

Buffy manages a smile at his dorkiness. Still it is like she said. There is a dichotomy in Clark's personality. Right now is the Clark she remembers and fell in love with. But in a day, an hour, 5 minutes from now he could be back to the darker, more brooding version of himself. She can only hope that this idea of hers works because if it doesn't...

If he doesn't let her in then this relationship has no future and that thought is horrid so it is damn well going to work. Buffy will make it work or die trying...well die again trying.

* * *

_Author's Note: So not the best date ever but I didn't want it to be too easy for Buffy and Clark to solve their issues. Also I just couldn't help but add a Twilight reference. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; Buffy the...Sidekick?_


	70. Part 4 Chapter 24: Buffy the Sidekick?

Chapter 24: Buffy the...Sidekick?

It should have been a nice simple job. Go in. Clear the bank of its money and get away but for one gang of robbers their day had been ruined by Metropolis' hero showing up to save the day. The leader of the gang fires his gun at the Blur until he runs out of bullets. The Blur grabs the gun and crushes it before lifting the leader up off the ground by the shirt.

"Why won't you die?" the leader shouts at the Blur.

Clark just fixes him a hard steely look.

"Why don't you get a clue?" a voice off to the side asks the gang leader back.

Both Clark and the man look off to the side as a woman with blond hair in her own skin-tight black suit with a mask to boot, she had decided just to go with simple costume wise, unceremoniously drops the goon she just disarmed and rendered unconscious.

After Buffy said she wanted to help out Clark had made some aversions to her need to protect her identity. Hence the mask.

Buffy makes her way over to them as she continues to say. "I mean seriously. You choose to rob a bank in a city with its own protector and he's not some myth or story. All you have to do is read a paper to see he exists and yet you somehow get it into your head to decide to rob a bank. A super genius you ain't."

"Awful mouthy sidekick you got there Blur," the gang leader remarks which is just absolutely the wrong thing to say to Buffy. It is uncertain whether the man realises that in the 2 seconds before Buffy's fist connects with his face and she knocks him out.

* * *

A major fire is consuming an apartment block. A crowd gathers round to watch as the fire-fighters do their best to put it out.

A woman on the street is trying to get in but is being held back by the police. "I have to get in," she pleads desperately. "My baby's in there!"

As much as the police might feel for her it is simply too dangerous to let her go in.

"Look! Up in the sky!" a by-stander shouts and points.

Everyone looks just as a black blur soars overhead and smashes through a 3rd floor window. Another one blurs past them on the ground whipping up a gust of wind as it goes by. A few minutes go by and there is a sudden explosion. The panicky woman screams in terror that her baby has just be killed but out of the explosion comes the figure known as the Blur as he floats gently down with the baby safe in his arms. He lands on the ground and hands the baby off to the woman who thanks him gratefully with tears of happiness in her eyes at having her baby back. Clark can't stop a small smile coming to his face at seeing this.

A small gust of wind drags his attention to his right where Buffy has appeared next to him holding a kitten.

"Fluffy!" a excited voice shouts as a little girl runs towards Buffy. Buffy bends down and the girl gives her a hug leaving Buffy unsure what to do. During all her years of slaying she never ever had little girls hugging her.

Clark inwardly laughs at seeing the big tough vampire slayer totally nonplussed at the fact she is receiving a hug.

Off to the side one of the police officers gives off a low whistle at what he is seeing. Well more in particular at a certain blond woman he is looking at. "Gee I wish I had a sidekick who looked like that," he murmurs.

Buffy hears it and shoots the cop a glare that would grown men cry. The only reason she doesn't knock his lights out is because of the little girl who is still hugging her.

* * *

It was an ordinary quiet day in Metropolis. Its citizens go about their daily lives. People making their way to and from their place of work mingling with families mingling with tourists in a great melting pot of creed and colour.

Other people who mix or more accurately scare the living daylights out of people is Clark's rapidly becoming number one headache; Toyman. This time his crime spree involves toy racing cars that explode. It's part of an extortion attempt where the city pays Toyman millions in compensation for the fact he was fired from his job or he blows up buildings.

After a couple of days of searching and with Chloe's help Clark had finally managed to locate the insane toymaker to an old abandoned building.

"Well well lookie here," Toyman says. "My favourite playmate. Metropolis' erstwhile do-gooder and what's this? He's got himself a sidekick."

"Sidekick?" she exclaims angrily as her face darkens.

Clark pinches the bridge of his nose. That's never good. Whenever someone calls Buffy his sidekick she kinda loses it.

"Aw don't take it personally blondie. If you want you can be my sidekick," Toyman says leeringly.

Buffy actually growls.

"Ooh who I bet you're a wild thing in bed ain't ya. Lets say you dump the hero and we can find out if the carpet matches the drapes."

At this Clark has to physically grab and retrain Buffy to stop her from doing something she'll regret later. "Toyman what is it with you riling up the entire female sex?" Clark has to know. "You know that half the female cops in Metropolis want to skin you alive."

Toyman shrugs. "They shouldn't wear those sexy little uniforms."

"They don't. They wear the standard police uniform."

You say to-mat-o. I say to-mate-o," Toyman says somewhat flippantly. He turns his attention back to Buffy. "So what do they call you? The Blurette?"

Buffy's eyes flash yellow dangerously. The more aggressive demonic side of her that she more or less keeps under control is urging her to rip this little troll apart.

Clark has to tighten his hold on Buffy and he ends up wondering briefly why the hell he is putting himself through this. It all sounds good in theory. Using his powers to help people and once upon a time not so long ago Clark had believed in it and there are times he can almost convince himself it is still worthwhile. Other times...well Chloe has already called him out on the fact he is back to sitting up in the barn loft brooding.

Clark just can't reconcile himself with being a hero when he thinks about all he did during those months after he and Buffy broke up. During that time he had been about as far from being a hero as it is possible to get without actively being a bad guy.

Buffy struggling in his grip brings Clark back to the here and now. "Time to surrender Toyman," Clark declares.

Toyman grins manically. "Don't think so," he mocks in a sing-song voice. He moves over to a console where he controlled the cars from and flips on the monitor. It shows a moving image from a camera on the toy cars which are racing for...

...the Mayor's office!

"Go," Buffy says to Clark in a suddenly much calmer voice.

Clark gives her a look and she looks him back silently promising not to kill Toyman. In a gust of wind Clark is gone.

Although Buffy is famous for her quips and rather playful manner she knows when it is time to simply be serious and do the job. This is one of those times and as much as she would like to tear the perverted toymaker apart she won't. Although a severe beating might be in order. Speaking of Toyman he is giving her another lecherous grin.

"Well toots. It looks like it just you and me."

The suggestive tone of his voice is having Buffy severely rethink her no killing humans policy. She stalks forward and lifts Toyman off the ground by his shirt. "Listen to me you little troll. I like you about as much as I like dog crap on my shoes."

"Hey. Don't knock it until you try it blondie."

"That's it!" Buffy screams, her patience finally snapped. She raises her fist back to knock his head off only to find herself tackled to the ground. She kicks her attacker away and flips back to her feet to find herself standing face to face with a ninja. A giant life-sized ninja doll that is.

Toyman cackles. "Mad they said. Mad." He gestures at the ninja. "Look at that and tell me I'm mad."

"Ok. You're mad," Buffy dead-pans.

"Oh. Ha. Ha but look at it," he says gesturing at his creation. "It is a work of genius. I could have been creating things like this for the children of the world and what do I get for my genius. Fired. Without severance pay."

"Gee. I wonder why," Buffy says sarcastically.

The ninja draws a sword sheathed on its back out and attacks Buffy who dodges and weaves out of the way of the blows. Out of the things she has had to fight over the years a giant doll could well be the oddest she has to admit. She rolls under a swipe the doll makes and runs over to the wall where she rips a piece of pipe off. She twirls it a few times to judge its weight and balance.

Buffy advances on the ninja and sword meets pipe in a clang of metal. Well that settles the question in her mind whether the sword was a cheap bit of plastic or a real actual sword. As the fight progresses with Buffy blocking and parrying the jabs and thrusts she has time thanks to her enhanced powers to assess the skill or lack thereof of her opponent. It fought like someone in the movies fights.

"Ready to give up yet Blurette?" Toyman asks her.

"That is not my name!" Buffy snaps. She doesn't actually have any kind of other name unless you count the fact she is the Slayer.

"Yeah. It's not a good one. I would go with the shorty with the great ass."

'I will not kill him. I will not kill him,' Buffy repeats over and over in her head.

"You can't win," Toyman tells her. "I programmed that doll with every Jackie Chan movie in existence."

Hey she was right. It is fighting like someone does in the movies. "Not trying to win," Buffy says as she continues to use only defensive moves in her battle.

"What?"

"I'm trying to distract you while he stops your cars. Oh look he just has."

Toyman spins round to the screen he hasn't been paying attention to just as they fill up with snow meaning his remote cars are toast.

Now that Clark has done that Buffy can stop playing around. She deflects the doll's attack leaving it open to her ramming the pipe right through the middle of it. There is a sizzle and spark as she destroys the electronics within. The doll collapses to the ground lifeless. Buffy dusts her hands off and turns her attention back to Toyman. "Right then. That leaves you."

Toyman chuckles darkly while throwing a green rubber ball up into the air and then catching it. "Maybe another time." He then throws the ball at Buffy's head.

Buffy manages to avoid the ball easily. "That's your best effort?" she queries somewhat derisively.

"Ah. This ball is very special. It just keeps getting faster and bouncing harder."

The ball which has been bouncing around the room strikes Buffy in the back of the head hard enough that it stings and like Toyman said it just keeps getting faster and harder. He gives her a joky salute. "So long toots! Its been fun!"

Toyman runs for it and Buffy tries to follow only for the ball to strike her in the back of knee hard enough to knock her down to her knee. It bounces off the wall a few more times before hitting her in the ribs and this time she really feels it. That's going to leave a bruise. It hits her on the head making her head spin. It hits her on the back and she can't stop the cry of pain because that really hurt and the hits just keep on coming faster and harder. At this rate it will eventually hit her hard enough to kill her.

Two green rubber balls come flying at her or so her double vision is telling. Just before impact, however, a large hand catches the ball in front of her face. The impact sounds like a howitzer going off. The ball is then crushed into tiny little pieces and then kneeling down in front of her is Clark.

Clark looks at Buffy with gentle concern after finding her in this state. "You ok?"

Buffy shakes her head to clear it and tries to get back to her feet which Clark helps with. "No. Not really," she says with a pained groan. "I'm sorry Clark."

"For?" he asks with some puzzlement at what she is apologising for.

"He got away," she says referring to Toyman.

"As long as you're alright it doesn't matter. We'll get him next time." There is always a next time when it comes to Toyman as even when Clark catches him the toymaker always manages to escape.

* * *

"You're brooding," Clark observes as he makes his way up to the loft in the barn on the farm.

Buffy is currently sitting on the old couch. She bites back an automatic retort about how that makes a change from him brooding because she made that observation last week and they had a row and it only ended with Clark brooding more. Needless to say things weren't exactly rosy between them.

Clark sits down next to her. "Is this about yesterday?" he asks in reference to Toyman escaping.

Buffy shifts a little on the couch. "Maybe. It is just...I've taken down a Hell God. An actual to goodness Hell God and yet an insane little troll of a man manages to get the better of me. Me!" If her enemies hear of this Buffy will never live it down.

"You shouldn't underestimate someone just because they have no powers or happen to be a normal human being," Clark cautions her.

"I don't."

"Don't you?" Clark questions.

"No," Buffy insists. "Besides Toyman is not normal."

"You won't hear any argument from me."

"By the way who came up with the name?"

"Lois and Chloe. Apparently all these guys need names now or so I'm told."

Buffy takes a moment to reflect. Clark's world which she had been trying to insert herself into was strange. There was a part of it dealing with the supernatural that inhabited Metropolis. A lot of it was just dealing with human criminals. Buffy had always concentrated on the supernatural bit. It was her job after all as the Slayer. She kept humans safe from the things that went bump in the night and left the police to deal with everything else. She has never spent any time really examining the evil of men. Oh she has run into it from time to time, the Initiative being the prime example, but had never tried to deal with it as Clark does. It was a learning experience. It wasn't simple. It was full of greys.

"Any sign of Cythonna?" Clark asks her knowing she phoned Xander this morning to catch up.

Buffy shakes her head. "Not a peep."

Clark's brow furrows. He hadn't gotten a 'peep' on her either.

"1 month," Buffy says.

"I know," Clark says. That is how long approximately until Cythonna rises assuming the time scale they got from the future is still relevant.

"No," Buffy says guessing what he is thinking. "1 month since I came here."

"So it is," Clark realises although he isn't sure how that is relevant.

Buffy can see she will have to spell it out. "1 month and you still don't talk to me."

"I talk to you every day."

"No. You don't. You speak. You don't talk. You use to. When we first met you were relieved to talk to me. To be able to talk to someone who understood your life to some extent. Now all you do is keep me out."

"That's not true," Clark defends himself. Ok sure they don't talk to each other like they did before but they aren't the same people as they were then.

Buffy is raising this now because it has been a whole month and as far as she can see she is no closer to getting Clark to open now as to when she started this whole partnership, definitely not sidekick, role. "Is this about me?" she asks him. "Are you still seeing that girl who was covered in blood and guts?" she asks in reference to the little trip he took inside her head and saw the terrible dark place to which she fell to after they split up.

"No."

"Then what?"

Clark runs his hand through his hair before standing up and starting to leave.

"Oh no you don't," Buffy tells him as she zips in front of him blocking his path. She had seen this before. It was the appearance of the other Clark. The dark brooding one who doesn't talk. Just turns around and walks off but not this time. She has been patient enough.

"Get out of my way Buffy," he warns her.

"No Clark. You know I was trying to be all mature about this. I thought if I was patient you would come to me but 1 month on and I have gotten nothing. If you had given me even a tiny sliver of hope we could make this work I would let you go but you haven't. Do you even want this to work?"

"Of course I do."

"Then talk to me."

"You can't understand."

Buffy scoffs at that. "Right. Hello. I went to a place where even angels and psychos fear to tread so I sure as hell can understand."

"No you can't because you are not me Buffy. You don't know what I allowed to happen. What I could have so easily prevented. It wouldn't have even taken any effort."

"Well not unless you tell me Clark because short of that Fate guy showing up and taking me on a trip round your head I can't know unless you tell me."

The two of them stand there facing each other. Buffy is praying this works, confronting Clark head-on, because if it doesn't and she pushes Clark too far then this could be the very moment their relationship crashes and burns.

Clark really does not want to have this conversation. He has in fact been trying to avoid it because he knows how it will end but Buffy it seems wants to go there so fine. Clark will go there. "Have you ever seen someone get blown up?" he asks her.

Buffy's brow now furrows in puzzlement at the odd question. "Well not a person. No." Vamps and demons sure.

"I have. What's more I got to watch it in the super slow motion my powers grant me to see the world in. I got to watch as the explosive force ripped them apart. I got to watch the chunks of flesh that was once a living breathing person as they flew through the air and stained the face of her children. I got to see the shock on their faces as their mother ceased to be before their eyes and I've got to live with the fact I could have prevented it and that is just one of dozens of deaths I could have prevented but was too lost in my own sorrow and pain to bother to get off my backside and do it."

Clark strides forward until he and Buffy and inches apart. "Now tell me Buffy what can you say to me that will make it all better? What can you say to me that would allow me to bring those children their mother back? What can you say to me that will bring back any of the mothers, fathers, sons, daughters I allowed to die?"

Her response comes out in a whisper. "Nothing."

"Precisely. I tried to make myself forget. I tried to tell myself it was something that happened when I was in a bad place. I even tried to tell myself that by flying around saving people I was somehow making up for it but none of that is true. When I'm up here brooding as you call it that is what I think about because I can't forget and I certainly can't forgive myself and you know what I sure as hell can't make up for it."

"Clark..." Buffy tries to intervene but he cuts her off.

"No. You don't get to tell me you did worse because it is like I said we are different people. My powers are suppose to be used to help people. Not using them...standing by while innocents are killed is a failure to me you can't imagine. It means I let my dad down. I tried so hard after Oliver found me to try and be the person I was before. I really did think I could be him again. For you I tried doubly hard but you're right. We can't have a relationship where I'm putting on an act despite how much I want you...how much I love you but you deserve the man you fell in love with except he's gone."

"Clark," Buffy tries again because she has a horrible feeling where he is heading with this.

Clark doesn't let her speak. "I can't do this anymore. I'll stay and stop Cythonna but after that I'm done."

Tears are now stinging Buffy's eyes. "What do you mean you're done? Clark. What do you mean?"

"After Cythonna I'm leaving."

"Leaving?"

"Earth," he clarifies. "The Fortress can create a ship for me to use."

"Where would you go?" she asks him hoping he has no answer and that he will see how ridiculous he is sounding. Besides he can't leave them...her.

"It's possible some other Kryptonians survive somewhere. I would go look for them," he says calmly and with little to no emotion present in his voice like he can suddenly cut his emotions off.

"Clark," Buffy tries once more her voice choked with emotion but again Clark cuts her off.

"I tried to be Clark again. For you. For my mom. For my friends. I really did try but Clark Kent wouldn't have allowed to happen what I did so I'm done with that as well."

"What does that mean?" Buffy manages to ask him.

He looks at her, his eyes cold and proclaims the following, "Clark Kent is dead."

* * *

_Author's Note: First things first. Sorry this update has been so long in coming. I've been having a very serious case of writer's block. I mentioned in the last chapter Buffy's observation that Clark had an odd dichotomy to his personality. He could be the old Clark one moment and a darker more brooding version the next. It's a theme I took up for the ending where he calls it an act when he was trying to be the old Clark. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; Relapse where I will explore this theme to its conclusion, explain Clark's sudden attitude changes and resolve where Buffy and Clark stand once and for all._


	71. Part 4 Chapter 25: Relapse

Chapter 25: Relapse

"I'm shoving a lump of kryptonite up his ass!"

"Chlo?"

Right now Chloe is pacing around in her apartment as her girlfriend watches on from the couch waiting for the explosion that is about to come.

"You heard me," Chloe says.

'Funny,' Willow thinks to herself. Funny that she is being the calm one right now after hearing from a very upset Buffy about what had transpired with Clark and then sharing it with her girlfriend.

Chloe then stops her pacing and looks upward. "And I know you can hear me too Clark! So hear this! I. Am. Going. To. Kill. You."

"Chloe," Willow says her name softly.

Chloe looks at her girlfriend. "No Will. He isn't getting away with it this time. He does not get to run off and hide. Not this time," she states, visibly seething at Clark's actions. Both the last time and now this.

"Chloe. We aren't sure that is what is going on with him," Willow cautions.

Chloe snorts. "Of course it is what is going on with him. It's the classic Clark Kent defence mechanism. Instead of facing up to and dealing with his problems like a mature adult he runs away. I tell you that gets real old after the 6th or 7th time," she says stating the number of times she has counted that Clark has done this. Run away only it didn't solve anything. His problems never went away and eventually he was forced to come back and deal with them. Chloe just thinks he could have learned that by now, skip the running away part and save his friends and family the agro.

"Chloe. Please," Willow pleads hating to see the woman she loves so worked up. Willow has to get Chloe to calm down before she bursts a blood vessel. She stands up and moves to Chloe where she starts to rub Chloe's arms in a soothing manner. "You're going to give yourself an ulcer you know," Willow gently warns Chloe. Not just from the stress but from the near like 50 cups of coffee a day Chloe drinks. Willow has been trying to wean Chloe off caffeine and onto herbal teas without much success so far.

"I'm going to give Clark a lot worse than an ulcer," Chloe threatens vaguely.

"Chloe. Relax. For me?" Willow requests.

Chloe looks at the look of worried concern in Willow's eyes and in response lets out a breath as she tries to calm herself down. "Alright. For you I'll try but someone still needs to confront Clark. Maybe I'll sic Lois on him."

"No. You won't."

Chloe and Willow look in the direction of the bathroom door where stands Buffy freshly washed and dressed. After Clark's proclamation about being dead he not so politely told Buffy to leave him alone. Buffy came here, told Chloe and Willow the whole story and decided to take a nice long bath to think things over. Might seem a bit odd to some people but what were you really expecting. Buffy to become a sobbing emotional wreck. She's been there already. Enough is enough. As Faith not so eloquently put it once she is a god damn slayer. In fact she is an uber-slayer now and it is time for her to handle this her way.

"Um hi Buffy. How are you feeling?" Willow asks her friend.

"Ready to do what is necessary," Buffy replies in a too calm and understated tone considering the circumstances.

"What?" Will asks totally lost at that answer.

Buffy looks at Chloe and explains. "You're right Chloe. Someone does need to confront Clark but not Lois."

"You?" Chloe only half-asks because she has a feeling that Buffy does mean herself.

"Yes. I tried to be patient. I even played along at that hero angle in the hope he would let me in and what do I get for my trouble? He pulls this crap. Well no more. No more coddling him. It is time for him to grow up and learn what it means for me to be a slayer."

Actually this approach does raise one or two alarm bells in Chloe's head. "Not to cut you down in your prime here Buffy but I was kind of joking about Lois. If Clark has relapsed to dark and broody then confronting him may not a great idea. If he reacts badly...you are aware of just how powerful he really is right?"

Yes Buffy is aware. Probably more so and in a way Chloe can't understand. She had felt his power alright. Every time they had been together making love she had felt it. "It doesn't matter," Buffy states with a determination within her she hadn't felt in quite some time. "Something about this whole thing stinks."

"In what way?" Willow asks.

"Apart from the fact this came out of nowhere I have spent the last few weeks feeling like I'm living with two Clark Kents. The one I remember and this dark brooding version that seems to have forgotten how much light there is in the world. I don't know what is going on with him but I am going to find out," she swears.

"How?" Chloe asks.

"Clark and I are going to have a little..._chat._"

Willow winces at the way Buffy said that. This is not going to end well.

* * *

Clark...well should he keep calling himself that now. He did just a few hours ago proclaim Clark Kent to be dead so maybe he should go with Kal-El from hence forth.

So Cl...Kal-El is tinkering away on the old tractor. May seem a rather pointless act for the last survivor of Krypton but when he was Clark doing this helped him when he needed to clear his head and old habits might linger on a bit.

Not that he really needs to clear his head. He is absolutely sure he has made the right decision and has absolutely no doubts in his mind. There are no second thoughts. This is definitely what he wants...oh who is he kidding.

If he wasn't having doubts he wouldn't be here tinkering with this tractor. It is just when Buffy wanted to talk about what he had done he in no way wanted to have that conversation. He does not want to have that conversation ever...period. All he wants to do is forget what happened during those months but thanks to his inhumanely perfect memory he can't but he can do the next best thing. The thing Jor-El spent years wanting him to do and that is purge himself of human emotion which Jor-El always considered and still does to some extent a weakness.

In one sense he was right earlier. Clark Kent is dead or at least the Clark Kent he use to be. It was so naively stupid now he reflects on it that somehow if he tried to slip back into this life and pretend to be who he was that somehow...in some fashion he would just become and feel like the person he use to be and why had he done that?

For Buffy of course.

Clark stops his tinkering and lets out a long drawn out sigh. It was all a gigantic mess which is why after he stops Cythonna he will leave. It will be be easier for everyone.

_'Easier for everyone or easier for you?'_ a voice in his head asks.

Before Clark can answer that the crunching sound of footsteps approaching brings him out of his thoughts on his existential crisis. He turns to face the entrance to the barn when Buffy appears and instantly he pushes all his emotions down. "If you're here for your belongings I packed them into bags for you. They're in the kitchen," he tells her in a as bland and emotionless tone as he can manage.

"Why?" Buffy asks him.

"Why what?"

"Why are they packed? I'm not going anywhere," she tells him.

Clark looks at Buffy a little closer and recognised the clothes she is wearing as her beat down clothes. "Buffy we are not doing this," he warns her off.

"I don't recall at any point giving you the ability to tell me what I can and cannot do."

"Buffy for once listen to me. You do not want to go there," he gives her another warning.

"This is BS Clark. You know it. I know it and I am not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell is going on with you."

'Why oh why does she has to be so damn stubborn?' Clark asks himself. "I told you what was going on. I can't keep up this act any longer."

"Clark I don't know if anyone ever told you this before but you are the worst liar in like the whole world."

"Is that so? Ok then tell me oh wise one," he says with his voice dripping with sarcasm. "What is going on?"

"Well since I can't read minds you will have to tell me or..."

"Or what?"

"Lets just say Clark that you either tell me what is going on or you make me leave because those are the only two options I'm giving you."

"I know I said once that you are a lot smarter than you pretend to be. I can see that statement was a serious misjudgement."

Buffy gasps and holds her hands over her heart. "I think you like just totally crushed my ego," she says in her best mock Valley Girl impression.

Clark is slowly starting to get annoyed. "Did anyone ever tell you that you aren't even half as funny as you think you are."

"Did anyone ever tell you that you aren't even half the man you think you are," Buffy hits back.

"What in the hell does that mean?"

"It means Clark that a real man grows a pair and confronts his problems unlike you who just wants to run away from them."

Clark snorts. "Tell Chloe she isn't even close to being right."

"Ah. So Chloe was right. You were listening."

"I can hear stuff across half the planet Buffy. Metropolis is practically like you are standing next to me," Clark gives as his explanation.

Buffy smirks. "Ut uh," she says waggling her finger at him. "I know for a fact, since you told me, that it is all din unless you choose to focus on something in particular or in other words you were eavesdropping."

"I don't have to listen to this," Clark decides. He then strides purposely forward intent on going right past Buffy and away from this argument which he does not want to have.

Buffy on the other hand does want to have this argument because while she was having her bath thinking she realised that the only way to get Clark to say what he is feeling is to get him so pissed off that all the convenient little barriers he has thrown up in his head to lock his true feelings away fall apart so as he tries to go past her she grabs him, swings him round and throws him up into the loft of the barn.

It only takes him a second before he has blurred back to in front of her looking decidedly unhappy. Good. That's a start.

"Buffy. I won't give you another warning," he tells her with deadly seriousness.

"And I told you you either tell me what is going on or you make me leave. Which is it going to be Clark?"

"Dammit Buffy!" he snaps. "This isn't a game!"

"I'm not playing a game," she says with no trace of the 'silly girl' Buffy persona.

"Fine then. This is on your head."

Clark stalks forward intent on making Buffy leave. He reaches forward to make a grab for her but Buffy blocks both his arms and kicks him in the stomach bending him over slightly. When he looks up at her she can see the growing anger in his eyes. "So Clark. Answer me this. Is keeping your feelings bottled up so important to you that it ends with us fighting?"

"I told you that you can't understand."

"You won't even give me a chance to try," she retorts. She then takes a small run at him before jumping into the air to deliver a kick but Clark catches her leg, spins her and throws her up into the loft like she did to him.

Buffy zips back in a second. "Oh come now Clark I know you can throw harder than that," she taunts him.

"I've giving you a chance Buffy to drop this and go," he makes the offer.

"This may sound childish but 'Bite me Clark!'"

"You're right. You sound childish."

"And you sound condescending."

"Bite me!" he says with a tiny smirk.

"Cute," Buffy remarks before charging at him. She attacks him and he blocks like she knew he could because so far she isn't trying all that hard to get through his defences.

"Cut it out Buffy," Clark tells hers as she blocks her attacks. She doesn't cut it out so he grabs her wrist when she throws a punch and twists it hard. In response flips through the air 360 to untwist herself and then does to Clark what he just did to her and twists his arm hard although she knows he is strong enough to break it but this isn't about beating him. This is about making him mad.

"Ready to talk yet?" she asks him.

The answer to that is no. Clark lets himself drop to one knee so he can get under Buffy better as he takes his free hand places it on her stomach and proceeds to throw her over his head and onto her back on the ground. Buffy manages to never let go of Clark's arm, yanks him closer so he is in the perfect position for her to wrap her legs around his neck.

"What about now? You ready to talk now?" she asks him.

"You're forgetting something Buffy," Clark says.

"Like?"

"Like the fact I can fly."

Clark then lifts them both off the ground still with Buffy's legs locked around his neck. He then shoots off with more speed right through the barn roof upward. "You have about a minute before the air becomes too thin for you to breathe," he informs her due to the current rate he is climbing.

"You are going to make us do this the hard way aren't you?" Buffy concludes from the little skirmish so far.

"Buffy I've said all I'm going to say," Clark tells her because as far as he is concerned his mind is made up and there is nothing more to say.

"And I still say you're full of BS but have it your way." Buffy releases her hold on Clark and lets herself drop. She may not be able to fly but thanks to her enhanced powers she can certainly survive the drop...she thinks.

In the end she doesn't get to find out as Clark catches her and floats them both down. "So what happened to you weren't doing this anymore?" she inquires in relation to the swooping in and saving the day. "Because I got the impression you meant more than just you and me."

She's right but Clark wasn't about to let her fall. "I still love you Buffy. That hasn't changed. It is just better if we don't try to be a couple anymore. You'll be happier without me around."

They land and Clark places her down. She signals with her finger for Clark to come closer so he leans down. "Clark you are so full of crap," she tells him bluntly before drawing her right fist back and hitting him as hard as she can. Hard enough to shatter a normal person's skull and hard enough to momentarily stagger even him. She quickly follows her attack up because Clark is way stronger and faster than she is so she can't let him have a moment.

Punches and kicks rain in on Clark until he has had enough. He catches a punch and squeezes hard enough to make Buffy visibly wince. "That is enough Buffy."

In response she lays a kick into his stomach. Next thing she knows is Clark hitting her flat palmed to her chest making her fly backward until she skids to a halt. She gets back to her feet and is pleased by the fact that for a second there she spotted Clark's eyes flash red. She's getting to him. "Oh it's not enough Clark. I told you how this was ending. You want this to stop. It stops when you knock me out and take me back to Chloe's or you can take the easy choice and talk to me."

"Buffy what do you think this will achieve?" he asks, slightly incredulous that she is forcing him into this position.

"A settlement. One or way or another Clark we are settling this," she says with utter determination to bring this to a head. Buffy unzips her jacket and tosses it aside as she cracks her neck. Playtime is over. Now it is time to get down to business. "No more holding back Clark. I'm am going to get the truth one way or another even if I have to beat it out of you."

Clark shakes his head and snorts disgustingly. "Violence won't solve this."

"Maybe not and maybe this will truly be the end of us but I guarantee that I am going to thoroughly enjoy kicking your ass all over Kansas," she says with real genuine anticipation of doing just that because frankly for the way he treated her he deserves it.

Clark is trying, really trying, not to lose his temper but she is pushing him to the limit. "Why can't you just take no as an answer?"

Buffy grins manically. "Because where is the fun in that?"

Buffy then runs at him full speed which to an outsider looks like her blurring across the landscape towards Clark.

Clark can see that Buffy will not let this go until he does beat her unconscious. Well then fine. Like he said earlier it is totally on her head. He then zips right at her.

The two blurs collide head on and the ground shakes.

* * *

"This is a bad idea Will," Chloe tells her girlfriend. The bad idea being they just sit here while Buffy goes off to confront Clark.

Willow watches Chloe pace back and forth once more. She seriously needs to get Chloe to at least switch to decaf. "I agree Chloe but what are we suppose to do exactly?"

"I...don't know but something." Chloe loves Clark. He is her BFF and despite all she knows he is capable of has never really been afraid of him. However that does not mean she is blind to what he is capable of either. Clark is scary powerful. "She should have taken that piece of kryptonite," Chloe argues.

"Except I don't think that would get Buffy what she wants," Willow argues back although she isn't entirely sure of that. Buffy had been kind of vague on details so basically just the normal Buffy strategy.

Chloe gets tried of pacing and goes and sits down next to Willow who wraps her arms around Chloe's shoulders in an attempt to calm her down. "How can you be so calm?" Chloe asks.

Willow chuckles at that question.

"What?" Chloe asks in confusion at what Willow finds funny.

"I keep asking myself the same question because you know I do kinda have a dark side."

Truth be Chloe has never seen Willow's dark side. They had talked about it because when you're in love that is what you do. You open yourself up and be vulnerable. Which is of course the exact problem Clark and Buffy are having. He won't open up.

"You want to know something," Willow mentions.

"What?"

"I think it's being here with you for a month."

"What is?"

"That I'm so calm," Willow explains. It may sound odd considering how hyper Chloe can be but having an opportunity to spend some real quality time here together has been wonderfully cathartic for Willow. She feels happier and more centred than she has done for years.

Chloe blushes slightly. "I don't see how I achieved that. I'm neurotic."

Willow laughs some more. "Very true," she teases.

Chloe pouts in response. "Do you think she is alright?" she asks in relation to Buffy.

"On I'm sure she's fine."

"You believe that or are you just saying that?"

Willow flashes Chloe a wry smile at her question. "Always the reporter huh?"

Chloe shrugs. "Can't help myself."

"Buffy always pulls through in the end...except you know the two times she died and feel free to correct me here but even if Clark is all broody and dark would he go that far?"

Chloe shakes her head. "No. He can't. It isn't in him," she says in total belief that under it all at his core Clark is still the good person she has known since they were 13.

"There you go then." Is Willow a little worried about Buffy? Sure but if anyone can do this then it is Buffy. Willow always has that belief in her friend.

Chloe is still restless though. "How long do we give it until we check up on them?"

Willow laughs a little more. Chloe is neurotic but then again Willow will admit so is she. More so when she was younger than now. "Oh I would give it a couple of hours," Willow advises.

"So what do we do in the meantime?"

"What do we do? Gee now let me think. The woman I love and myself all alone. Wonder what we can get up to pass the time?"

"Oh," Chloe says, her mouth forming a perfect 'O', as she gets what Willow means.

The two of them start off with a few gentle exploratory kisses which soon increase in passion and intensity when Chloe suddenly feels the room shake. "Did you feel that?" she asks breaking away from Willow.

"Chloe," Willow groans in sexual frustration. Sure she loved Chloe but seriously could her girlfriend focus on them right now.

"But I felt something," Chloe insists.

Willow moves her hand over an intimate part of her girlfriend. "How about that? You feel that?"

Chloe's breath hitches as her arousal levels sky-rocket. "Oh. Sure," she squeaks out. "Definitely feel that."

"Good," Willow says as she kisses Chloe again and the two of them sink down on the couch where over the next couple of hours Chloe finds the earth moving again several times for a whole different set of reasons.

* * *

Buffy rolls forward under a right from Clark, kicks her foot back and strikes him in the back of his knee dropping him down to that knee. She spins round and delivers a kick to his head sending him skidding across the ground. Buffy takes a second to catch her breath. She is breathing heavily now and sweating profusely. Even with her enhanced powers trying to fight at anywhere near Clark's level takes its toll quickly but on the plus side she has been kicking his ass all over Kansas like she promised.

Clark rubs his head and he stands himself up straight. He is getting extremely tired of his. "Buffy. You know you can't win this."

"I don't know nothin!" she shouts back at him in what Clark would call terrible grammar.

"Buffy please," he says utterly exasperated at her in what will be his last attempt at reason. After this he is putting an end to it.

"Oh don't please me Clark. You don't have the right after the way you treated me earlier. By the way that whole dark brooding attitude of yours is so last decade. Take it from me it gets really old really quick."

"That's rich considering who your exes are!" he tells her.

"That's right. They're my exes emphases on the ex!"

"God damn you Buffy!" he shouts angry that she is forcing him into doing this.

"The sentiment's mutual!"

Clark grits his teeth and zips forward delivering a right across Buffy's jaw. She retaliates with one of her own. She tries to follow it up with another but her movements are slowing as she tires and Clark catches her right in his right. She throws a left and he catches that too and pins her arms across her chest. "It is over Buffy," he tells her. "I've indulged you long enough."

Buffy snorts. "Yeah right. Indulged? Sure. That explains the bruise across your jaw."

Ok so he might be hurting a little and Buffy might be stronger than he thought but she is not that strong. Certainly not enough to beat him.

Buffy locks her gaze with him. "Why Clark? Why won't you even give me a chance to understand? Why won't you let me in?"

"Why can't you just drop it?" he shouts extremely agitated that by her stubbornness has had them fighting each other for at least an hour, maybe longer.

"Because I love you you idiot! It may not mean anything to you but it sure as hell means something to me!"

"Of course it means something to me! It's why I have to do this! It's why I have to let you go!"

Buffy stops her struggles to break free. "I've failed haven't I?" she says in a suddenly much sadder tone of voice.

Clark thinks this means she is finally ready to admit defeat. Buffy quickly dispels that notion.

"I really thought I taught you better," she says with a disappointed shake of her head.

"What?" Clark asks now utterly lost at what Buffy is on about.

"Than to leave yourself open!" she says as she raises her knee with all her strength right up between Clark's legs. The result is inevitable as Clark drops to his knees, tears welling up in his eyes as Buffy's blow hits that most sensitive part of even a Kryptonian's anatomy.

Buffy places her finger under his chin and tilts his head up to look at her. "Had enough sweetie?" she mocks.

Clark's eyes start to smoulder red. Oh yes. He has definitely had enough. In an instant his hand is around Buffy's throat in an iron grip. As he stands himself back up he lifts her up off the ground. "I warned you," he says his voice dangerously low.

Buffy locks her hands together and slams them down with all strength onto his elbow joint. It is enough force that he drops her only for her to be met by a backhand of stunning force. She flies through the air flipping over a few times before she lands with a painful groan and the taste of blood in her mouth. She pushes herself back to her feet as Clark walks deliberately slowly towards her. "Finished playing around then?" she still manages to quip.

"Buffy do you want me to hate you because seriously if you keep pushing that is what is going to happen."

"I want you to stop hiding from me and from yourself."

Clark chuckles a little darkly. "Fine. You want to see what a true Kryptonian can do. You want to see the real me. I can do that."

Clark's form dissolves into a blur and the next thing Buffy knows is blows coming in from all angles seemingly simultaneously. She is knocked down to the ground once more. Clark stands over her, his arms folded across his chest.

"Had enough sweetie?" he mocks using her earlier words.

"Hardly," she says as she once more pushes herself back to her feet although she is clearly wobbling by this point. "Ready to finish this honeybun?"

"Buffy don't make me do this. I don't want to do this," he virtually pleads of her.

"I told you the only two ways this ends Clark," she reminds with finality.

"God dammit Buffy!" he shouts out. He zips forward, grabs her and throws her to the ground where he pins her down with an arm across her throat. "I hate you for making me do this!" he tells her.

"Yeah well I hate you for wasting an entire month of my life!" Buffy spits in anger. "If it was over Clark you could have just said but that would require you to grow a pair which you obviously lack," she insults his manhood.

Clark raises his fist and slams it into the ground next to Buffy's head. If he had hit her he may have well crushed her skull. "I explained that! Why won't you listen to me!"

"Screw you Clark! What you been telling me is a load of crap!" Buffy knows she is pushing it but this is what she has been trying to do from the offset. To get Clark so pissed off he finally lets out his real feelings.

He pushes his arm down across her neck more as his anger rises up. "I hate you."

"Good. I hate you too. Happy now?"

Clark screams in frustration. That is it. "I hate..."

"What Clark? What do you hate?" she asks him harshly.

He brings his face closer to hers until they are millimetres apart. Buffy looks into his eyes and can see the almost desperate struggle within them as Clark's two halves wage war with each other. "I hate..." he says again.

"What?" she asks him only a little softer in tone this time.

Next thing Buffy knows is Clark's lips crushed to hers bruisingly hard as he kisses her. Angry kisses full of pent up rage. The very rage she had spent the last hour or so stoking up. She kisses him back in kind.

Clark starts to plant tiny little bites down her neck making her body arch up into him. "I hate..." he says between bites.

Buffy gasps. "Hate what?"

"I hate that I can't have you. I want you so much but I can't..."

Buffy's takes him by his hair and pulls his head back so he looks at her and can see she is sincere in what she says next. "Clark if you want me I'm right here," she says offering herself and he better not say no because after what she just went through she is really really wound up. To a slayer fighting is akin to foreplay.

To Buffy's relief Clark crushes his lips to hers. He does want her and when he grinds his hips into her she can feel the definite sign of arousal that shows he wants her.

Clothes get ripped to tatters. Hands skim across bare skin. Bodies lock together in a timeless dance neither has performed in nearing a year. Screams and cries echo across the landscape as the dance reaches its climax.

Buffy gasps for breath as Clark collapses on top of her. God she had almost forgotten how good this felt as the last tremors of her climax make her shiver. Clark has buried his head into her shoulder. She then feels a sudden wetness there and comes to the realisation that Clark is crying.

She wraps her arms around him and strokes his back and his hair. "Shh," she says soothingly. "It's alright Clark."

"I'm sorry," barely audible muffled words come from his lips.

"Let it out," she says her voice gentle. She can wait for the reasons behind this.

"I think I'm going to throw up." Buffy's eyes dart around for the source of the familiar voice and standing there over her and Clark is...well herself. Or more accurately her eternal nemesis the First Evil.

At hearing the voice Clark does his best to reign his emotions back in or to at least stop crying in front of the personification of evil and rolls himself off Buffy.

Buffy sits up not bothered by her nakedness right at this moment as she tries to work out what this is about.

The First/Buffy sighs sadly. "I was so close," it says in disappointment at its failure. "But you just had to be all stubborn and not let things go," it spits angrily at Buffy.

That is when it strikes Buffy. The weird dichotomy in Clark's personality or more accurately the cause of it. "You. You did to him what you did to me," she accuses the First in relation to her 7 months of emotional numbness. It took her wish to block out her pain over losing Karen and magnified it to the extreme and it must have done a similar thing to Clark which explains why his personality was so all over the place.

The First holds up its hand with the thumb and finger close together. "A little subtler actually. He felt. He cared. I even found it quite amusing to watch him go try and be a hero again but he could never fully feel anything and whenever he came close..."

"I would lash out. Brood. Drive people away. Run away because that was easier than confronting my pain," Clark fills in.

"I just magnified what was already there Kal-El."

Clark nods sadly because it was true. Those traits are already there.

Buffy gets to her feet and moves to stand to face herself nose to nose. "You know I'm getting real tired of this," she tells the First utterly fed up with its constant meddling.

"I told you that you have no power over me. I told you I would be around even if you didn't see me." It them morphs into Clark. "After all I'm always around," it jokes mockingly using Clark's words. "You see Slayer this never ends. I am eternal. When you are long gone and turned to dust I'll still be here spreading darkness far and wide."

Buffy smirks. "Still afraid of me then."

The First/Clark's expression darkness. "I fear nothing."

Buffy laughs. "Oh but things are different now. Nothing will play out like it did before."

The First/Clark now smirks. "Oh but it will. When Cythonna rises you will fall Buffy. Nothing can change that...except Kal-El accepting my offer."

Buffy snorts. "To join you? That is not happening."

The First morphs back into Buffy. "Well at least you didn't say 'over my dead body'," it quips.

"Are you done?" Buffy asks sounding bored.

"For now but Cythonna is coming and I will be there to make Kal-El the offer when you meet your destiny."

The First vanishes and Buffy lets out the breath she hadn't been aware she was holding. Clark's arms wrap around her from behind and he gently kisses her shoulder. "Thank you for that," he tells her because he just was not up a verbal sparring session with the First.

"What are girlfriends for?" she asks rhetorically. She turns around in his arms and looks up questioningly. "Assuming I am your girlfriend again."

Clark smiles down at her warmly. "Definitely."

They share a sweet kiss.

She runs her hand through his messed up hair. "How are you doing?"

"Feeling a lot clearer mentally which means I can feel ashamed about this mess I got us into."

"It wasn't your fault...entirely."

"Buffy I'm s..." Clark starts to say but Buffy stop him by placing her finger to his lips.

"No. No more apologises Clark. All I want from you right now is the truth and some place where we can talk where we aren't risking arrest for indecent exposure."

"Oh right," Clark says as he suddenly remembers how naked they are and the fact they are in a field somewhere in Kansas for the whole world to see and his cheeks turn red.

"Not that you have anything to be ashamed of," she says in a sultry tone while giving him a blatant look over making his cheeks burn even brighter red. Buffy chuckles. Clark was always so easy to embarrass and she had missed teasing him. He picks her up in his arms and they vanish in a blur.

* * *

_Author's Note: Had to be the First obviously didn't it? I decided that unlike the show where Clark spent god knows how long moping about when he declared himself dead that Buffy wouldn't just lie down and take it. Hence the violent showdown. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; Truths._


	72. Part 4 Chapter 26: Truths

Chapter 26: Truths

Buffy laughs and Clark joins in with her. They had made their way back to the farm and were now lying on the couch in the barn under a blanket. Buffy was lying on top of Clark as the couch wasn't all that big enjoying the feeling of his skin against hers. They had never bothered to get around to getting more clothes. They didn't need them really. It was like a physical representation of the breakthrough they had made. Nothing between them anymore.

Clark was so much more like himself now. Buffy reckons what had happened was similar to what happened when she broke free of the First's influence. She broke free of it when Faith pissed her off so much she lost her temper and it was like a dam bursting freeing all her emotions from where they had been locked away. She guesses it is the same for Clark after she pushed him to his breaking point.

They had been talking for...god only knows how long. It had been difficult at times. Heart wrenching. Nauseating once or twice having to admit to where they fell, what they did, what they allowed to happen but in the midst of all that darkness they had managed to find lighter moments. Funny moments which is why they would be laughing right now.

It was cathartic. Laughter usually is and snuggled up with Clark made Buffy feel good in a way she hadn't for coming on for a year. Buffy closes her eyes and listens to Clark's heart beating away.

"Buffy?" Clark inquiries.

"Hmm?"

"You ok?"

"Sleepy," she replies. "Angry sex does that."

"Angry what?"

Buffy open her eyes and looks up at Clark. "Sex Clark. You know what we did in that field is called sex. I mean I know it has been awhile..."

Clark stops her. "I remember what sex is Buffy."

"Well what we did was angry sex. Admit it. What were you feeling?"

"Well...angry."

"There you go."

It's amazing. All this time he has known her and she still utterly baffles him on occasion. However he is sure of one thing. He does love her and his mind is now clear enough to finally appreciate once more how wonderful that feels. "I'm sorry about what it took for you to get through to me," he tells her because they fought for quite some time and he did lay on some beating on her.

"Well since angry sex always leads to great orgasms I think I'll forgive you."

Clark blushes slightly. "Still as blunt as ever I see."

"It's sex Clark. Not rocket science."

"That...makes no sense which is your norm," he says with a teasing twinkle in his eyes.

Buffy slaps him gently across his chest.

"Oh hey easy. You hit a bruise," he complains.

"I would apologise except I have more of them."

"Sorry."

"Oh quit with the guilt ridden expression Clark. I knew what I was getting myself into when I chose to make you mad."

"Yeah about that. Are you insane? Do you have any idea what I could have done to you?"

Buffy grins. "Yep. Angry sex remember."

Clark rolls his eyes.

"Oh please. Quit with the eye rolling. It was great. You can admit it."

"I could but your ego is big enough already."

Buffy's grin gets all the wider at the fact Clark is bantering with her. This was more like it. Clark lets out a deep breath and strokes Buffy's hair. She lies her head back down on his chest and closes her eyes again.

"I let people down," Clark says at a whisper in relation to all the people he let die he could have saved.

"We both did," Buffy tells him.

"How can I be a hero when I allowed that?"

"By making sure that tomorrow you don't allow that and the same the day after that and the day after that and so on and so forth etc etc blah blah blah."

"Gee when you put it so eloquently it sounds so easy," he says sarcastically.

"It's not," she says more seriously. "But what else are you going to do. Sit around here and brood about it?"

"No. I've done enough of that."

"Shame. I was kinda looking forward to kicking your ass again."

"You never kicked my ass," Clark protests.

"Uh huh. You keep telling yourself that Kent."

"I will."

Buffy laughs at that. Oh thank god his sense of humour is back.

"I guess I'll just have to find a way to live with it won't I?

"Yep but lets start that tomorrow. Buffy very sleepy," she says and as if to emphasise the point she yawns.

Clark kisses the top of her head. "Love you."

Buffy snuggles deeper into Clark's welcoming warmth. "Love you too."

* * *

"So tell me again Lois why did you want to come along?" Chloe asks her cousin as they drive towards Smallville. Well Lois is doing the actual driving.

"Smallville's my friend too," Lois argues.

Chloe can't quite figure out how Lois ended up coming along. Lois had come to the apartment forcing Chloe and Willow to spend a frantic minute trying to find where they had tossed their clothes to. Thankfully Lois decided not to raise the fairly obvious as to what Chloe and Willow had been up to although she smirked...a lot indicating while Lois didn't raise it she knew what the two of them had been up to. Anyway they got to talking. Somehow the issue of Clark and Buffy came up. Probably around the part where Lois mentioned that Kansas had been struck by a series of small earthquakes.

It didn't take a genius to work out that if things had gone badly and Clark and Buffy ended up trading blows they were now both so powerful the resulting battle would be enough to make the ground shake.

"You know you could have teleported us," Chloe points out to her girlfriend in the back seat.

"I could have," Willow agrees but amends it with, "But I promised Buffy we would let her resolve this herself. Remember."

"You promised," Chloe snaps back petulantly. "I never promised any such thing."

Willow decides to let Chloe's tone wash off her because she knows it comes out of concern and it is not as if Willow isn't worried. She is but she promised Buffy she would stay out of it and she won't break that promise unless she knows for certain Buffy is in mortal danger.

"Wait," Lois says. "If you promised why are you coming along?" she asks a tiny little bit confused.

Willow shrugs. "Technically I am only here to keep my girlfriend company. It is merely a coincidence that by doing so I'm going to be seeing how Buffy is."

Chloe chuckles. "You should have been a lawyer," she jokes.

"Could have been but I probably would have ended up turning everyone to toads in a fit of temper. I believe the establishment frowns on such things."

Chloe laughs harder and Lois chuckles a little although it is still weird to think that Chloe's girlfriend is a genuine witch with real magical powers.

A short time later Lois draws the car up to the farmhouse and the 3 of them step out. A quick survey of the house shows no-one home. They head back outside to look for any signs of where Clark and Buffy might have gone.

"Huh," Chloe suddenly remarks.

"Huh what?" Lois asks her cousin.

"Don't remember the barn having a hole in its roof," Chloe says as she points at it.

Lois and Willow look and as Chloe said there is an about person sized hole in the roof. The 3 enter the barn where they find Clark and Buffy asleep on the couch cuddled up under a blanket. Both have tiny little contented smiles on their faces.

Willow coughs loudly and the couple start to stir.

Clark opens his eyes to find he and Buffy have guests. He gently prods her. "Buffy. Company."

Buffy opens her eyed and spots the 3 women. "Not again," she groans.

"What not again?" Lois asks completely lost.

Willow explains. "Oh the first time I met Clark, along with Xander, Faith and Giles, we found him and Buffy in a very similar situation."

In fact it was practically the same situation minus the blanket. Clark and Buffy shift slightly and the blanket moves enough to reveal both are at least topless.

"Oh geez Smallville. Please tell me you're at least wearing pants," Lois pleads making a face.

Clark blushes and Buffy giggles. "Fraid not," she announces adding to Clark's embarrassment.

Willow smiles at the scene seeing how happy Buffy looks. In fact knowing her friend as she does Willow can see Buffy has that contented after sex glow about her.

"Where are your clothes?" Chloe asks looking around the barn and not seeing them.

Clark coughs uncomfortably. "Um...err...not here," he replies lamely and completely embarrassed.

"Then where..." Lois starts to say and then stops. "You know what I don't want to know."

Lois then promptly turns round and heads for the farm house trying not to dwell too much on what feels suspiciously like jealousy welling up within her at what she just saw.

After some teasing from Chloe Clark finally manages to get his friend to go into the house and get him and Buffy some clothes.

* * *

Later that evening Chloe strides out of the farm house to work off dinner. They had all ended up staying after Buffy and Clark explained the truth of what had transpired. It was kind of sweet actually to watch Clark and Buffy over dinner back to playfully teasing each other.

Oh Chloe is sure that things aren't perfect. Nothing in life is but unlike before she is pretty certain that Buffy and Clark can work through whatever issues remain.

Anyway on to why she is out here and that would be looking for her cousin who had walked out a few minutes earlier and Chloe had caught the expression of her face which showed that something major was bothering Lois and Chloe has a feeling she knows what.

Chloe finds Lois in the place everyone goes to brood. The barn loft where she is staring out into the night sky. Chloe walks up beside her and decides to just cut to the chase. "So how long have you had feelings for Clark?" she asks her cousin since no doubt what was bothering Lois was having to watch Clark and Buffy's flirting over dinner.

Silence.

"Come on Lo. Talk to me," Chloe asks of her cousin.

Lois shrugs. "Don't know. I always liked him in a way despite him being a dorky corn-fed farm boy."

"So all the agro you put him through was for?" Chloe queries at the years where Lois just would endlessly irritate Clark.

"Hey. You know me Chloe. That is just who I am."

"I feel like I should something clichéd like 'There are plenty more fish in the sea' or 'You'll find the right man for you one day'."

Lois manages a tiny smile at her cousin's joke. "Thanks but..." Lois sighs sadly. "I just have to work through this like I did with Ollie."

"Look I know you really aren't one of these people that share their feelings but if you ever need to talk you know I'm here for you."

Lois turns and gives her cousin a hug. "I know," she says softly. Sure as Chloe said there are other guys out there but few of them are as good natured, sweet and kind as Clark. Truth is that as she said Lois just has to work through this.

* * *

"Hmm," Buffy says virtually purring with contentment. "I had forgotten how good this was."

Clark looks down at the naked blond who is sharing his bed. After Willow, Chloe and Lois left he and Buffy had gotten back down to all the catching up they needed to do. Somehow, don't ask Clark how, that ended up with them in bed making love for the last several hours he would say by the fact the sun is starting to peek through the curtains. "Should I be offended?" he asks her.

Buffy raises her head from his chest with a puzzled frown. "What?"

"That you could actually forget," he clarifies with a tiny smirk.

"Ah," Buffy says in understanding. "The male ego is a delicate creature," she comments in the style of a narrator on a wildlife programme. "It needs to be constantly stroked." Her smile turns mischievous. "Along with certain other parts of their anatomy."

"Ah. Hey. Quit that," Clark protests at where her hand is going under the covers and what it is doing.

Buffy grins wickedly. "Do you really want me to stop Clark?"

"Um..." Clark says as he tries to get his mind to focus. "No...yes...I mean I have to fix the bed at some point," he lamely comes up with.

Buffy stops what she is doing and looks around. The bed they are lying in is shattered to pieces. "Huh when did we do that?" she asks having no clue.

"You don't remember?" Clark says with surprise.

Buffy shrugs. "Not really and I think it may be a little beyond repair Clark."

Clark sits up and really looks for the first time and can see that Buffy might be correct. It could well be beyond the point of being repaired. With Buffy's enhanced strength he guesses it was kind of foolish to think any normal furniture could survive their love making. "I really hope mom doesn't come home for a visit," he mumbles because no way in hell does he want to try and explain this. He lies back down and runs his hand through his hair.

Buffy snuggles up beside him and lets out a contented sigh. "So is there a reason fixing the bed is more important than me?" she queries trying not to sound annoyed and failing.

"Nothing is more important than you Buffy," Clark assures her. "You know except saving the world, my mom, Shelby," he lists with his voice cracking as he tries stop himself from laughing.

"Damn that dog," Buffy mutters with false outrage. "He is so off my Christmas card list."

The two of them share a laugh and Clark wraps his arms around Buffy and gives her a squeeze. "Buffy really I would love nothing better than to stay here with you all day," he says with soft genuine emotion. "But at some point I need to try and pick up my life again. Apart from protecting Metropolis I don't actually have a real life."

Now that his mind is clearer without the First's influence Clark has only just come to realise that fact. His life was going out helping people or sitting here on the farm brooding. There was no part of it that was actually him, Clark Kent, forging his own place in the world.

"Welcome to the club!" Buffy says in a sarcastic cheer because she has no real life either. There was high school and slaying. Then there was college and slaying. Then her mom died and there looking after Dawn, working in a greasy fast food restaurant with that infernal hat she had to wear that had a cow on it...she has had so may dreams of burning that stupid hat...and back on topic there was slaying and somewhere in amongst all that she died twice and turned her home town into a smoking crater. Then she ended up leading a whole army of slayers.

Anyway her totally whacked out mind is trying to make the point at no time in all that did she really ever have time to create a life for herself.

"Clark you do know that the world could be ending in a month," she reminds him in relation to Cythonna. "This may not be the best time to try and sort out your life," she argues.

"I'm trying to go back to being an optimist and assuming we will survive and if not now Buffy when? There is always something that comes up when we're involved."

Buffy groans. "Don't remind me."

"My point is Buffy if we put our lives on hold for every bad guy I don't think we would have a life."

Buffy rolls on to her back and sighs. "I haven't really had a life since I was 15," she says a little remorsefully at what she has had to sacrifice.

Clark turns to look at her, his gaze full of soft sorrow. He rolls over and wraps his arms around her again and plants small loving kisses on to her lips. "You have one with me," he promises her in a loving whisper.

Buffy's lips manage a smile at that and it fills her insides with warmth. She affectionately strokes Clark's broad chest. "Ok look since we do have to get up to get a new bed can we go somewhere in particular?"

"Sure. Where?"

"LA."

"LA?" Clark says with understandable confusion about why she wants to travel 1000miles to the West Coast.

"Yep."

"Why LA..." he trails off as it hits him. "You want to drop in and spy on Dawn don't you?" he realises as to what she is up to.

"Not spy on exactly," Buffy avoids telling the truth.

"Buffy," Clark says insistently wanting a straight answer.

"Ok fine," she huffs. "I want to spy on Dawn because I know she is keeping something from me," she finally admits. "Satisfied?"

"Not really but what do you think she is keeping from you?"

"I don't know. All I know is that she has somehow gotten Angel in on keeping me in the dark."

"How do you know?"

"Because Angel is a terrible liar and when I last spoke to him I could tell he was in on it."

Clark knows he will probably regret this. "Ok fine. We'll go to LA and get the truth but please try not to end up fighting with your sister. I'm sure it is nothing serious."

"Maybe," Buffy might concede. Dawn has kept stuff from her before that wasn't overly serious. She means she'll be all grown up and mature about it unless she finds out Dawn has been sleeping with Connor. Then she'll be killing them.

* * *

"I'm killing them!"

"Buffy," Clark tries to caution her.

"No. Don't bother trying Clark. There is nothing you can do to dissuade me," she firmly tells him.

Clark rolls his eyes with a shake of his head for good measure.

Meanwhile all the members of Angel Investigations just look on utterly bemused. Clark and Buffy just literally walked in the door 5 seconds before Buffy made her proclamation.

"Ok what is going on?" Dawn demands to know of her sister.

Buffy places her hands on her hips and looks stern. "What is going on is that I am killing you, your little boyfriend and that lying no good father of his," she says threateningly.

Dawn looks for Clark to explain as she is still totally lost. Clark runs his hand through his hair and wonders how he ends up in situations like this. "You forgot to shower this morning didn't you?" he asks Dawn.

Dawn is even more lost than she was before at that question. "Well...yeah. It was a long night and I hadn't gotten around to it yet. So what?"

Clark inwardly groans that he has to say it. "Dawn Buffy can smell it on you."

"Smell what?"

"_It._"

"It?"

"Yes. **It.**"

Dawn's eyes widen as she finally gets it. She laughs nervously. "So you can really smell that with your new uber-slayer powers huh?"

Buffy nods with this evil look in her eye which she then focuses on Angel. "I thought I told you to look after her," she angrily says.

Angel holds his hands up. "Now look Buffy you may not like it but Dawn is an adult now and..."

Buffy snorts. "Since when have you exactly been Mr Mature and Reasonable?"

"Did you notice how we are all avoiding saying the word sex?" Cordy adds at this juncture.

Buffy glares at the brunette.

Connor moves and puts his arm around Dawn in a protective gesture and as a show of his affection for her. "Look Buffy I understand you want to look out for your sister but I can assure you I would never hurt her. I love her."

Dawn looks at Connor with complete surprise. He has never said that to her before. "Y-You do?" she asks almost afraid she misheard him.

He looks directly in her eyes. "I do," he assures her in a soft gently loving tone.

"Oh Connor," Dawn says with tears welling up in her eyes. "I love you too."

The two of them then share a kiss. Clark gives Buffy a nudge and a look to say something more supportive this time. She lets out a sigh and rolls her eyes. "Fine. Fine," she mutters grumpily. "Ok look I'll tolerate this on two conditions. One," she says pointing at Connor. "You protect her both physically and emotionally and if you break her heart I will cut out yours. And two," she says pointing at both of them. "I don't want to be an aunt until I'm 30 so there had better been protection used."

"Oh gee this is not an embarrassing conversation or anything," Dawn mutters sarcastically. "Yes Buffy. Protection was used," she assures her sister. "I have no wish to be a parent right now."

"Alright then," Buffy accepts Dawn's assurance. "Now moving on to the other reason we came."

"Other reason?" Clark asks confused. She never mentioned another reason to him.

"The other reason I just thought of," Buffy corrects herself.

Clark rolls his eyes again. "Here we go," he mutters to himself at another of Buffy's spontaneous moments.

Buffy slaps him on the shoulder for that before turning back to Angel and co. "As I was saying now we have the truth about Dawn we need to talk."

"About?" Angel asks.

"Cythonna," Buffy says simply. "We have maybe a month before she rises and I think we need some kind of rough outline of a plan on how to combat her because she has been recruiting an army over this last year. Now we have one too but we have no idea what she is planning or where she will make her first move and we need to come up with some way to move people about quickly to counter her moves."

"And you're asking Angel for advice?" Cordy asks unable to believe that.

Angel scowls at that.

"Yes Cordy. I'm asking Angel because he has been alive a really long time and has seen a lot of wars."

"But not one against a God," Illyria speaks up.

Everyone turns their attention to the Old One whose personality was merged with Fred's. Currently she is still wearing Fred's appearance but her eyes are still crystal blue and her hair has blue streaks running through it which reflects this merging.

"You have no comprehension what it means to fight a God," Illyria continues.

"Excuse me?" Buffy asks sounding extremely insulted. "I died fighting one thank you very much."

"A binded one as I recall the Key informing me" Illyria says not sounding all that impressed at Buffy's achievement. "A fully powered one I can assure you is very different. I should know as I fought many. Ones with powers your feeble mind cannot imagine. I believe your myths now refer to them as the Titans."

"I think perhaps we should organise a get together of everyone," Clark decides. "We need everyone to sit down and share what we know."

"You mean like a Council of War or something?" Buffy inquires from him.

Clark shrugs. "Not sure I would have used that description but yeah. I mean Illyria knows how to fight Gods. I know all the myths surrounding Cythonna and I did fight her in a weakened state."

"Is this true?" Illyria asks curiously.

Clark nods. "Yes."

"What transpired that you did not destroy her?"

Clark frowns. "Long story but short version is that she distracted me and ran away to fight another day."

Illyria snorts in disgust. "What a cowardly maggot this Cythonna is. It is beneath a God to run away. I would rather die a thousand times than suffer that indignity."

Cordy rolls her eyes. "Here we go," she mutters to Angel. Sometime Illyria could be very Fred-like but other times all you could see was the Old One who ruled a kingdom that spanned dimensions.

Dawn intervenes as Illyria shows her the most respect since she is the Key. "So Illyria you will assist with this Council of War?" she asks.

Illyria cocks her head to the side as she considers it. "It has been an age since I fought in a glorious war against a worthy opponent so yes I shall assist and with my help we will grind this Cythonna beneath our feet like the dirt she is."

Dawn gives Illyria the thumbs up. "Wonderful imagery as always," she humours the Old One.

Buffy purses her lips. "I better call Xander," she decides so they can set up this Council of War. Time was running out and well Buffy hates to admit this but in a sense the First was right. The truth is that very soon they are about to meet their destiny.

* * *

_Author's Note: Ok yes this chapter is filler but that is because I am about to start the last act of this story as the fight against Cythonna begins. Who will live and who will die? Will Cythonna triumph or will our heroes? You'll see soon. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up: The Alien and the Goddess; Round 2._


	73. Part 4 Chapter 27: Alien vs God Round 2

Chapter 27: The Alien and the Goddess; Round 2

A bone rattling punch collides with Clark's jaw sending him careening backwards smashing through the tree trunk thick crystals of his Fortress of Solitude. As he picks himself up it would probably occur to an outside observer to ask how did he end up at this juncture.

Well the woman or more accurately the Goddess who is flying at him right now would be the answer. Clark manages to block the blow but it still sends him sliding back several feet. His eyes glow as he glares at her.

Her.

Cythonna.

She had ambushed him here at his own home but he was over the shock and now he guesses Round 2 of their fight is about to begin. With that in mind he launches his counter attack.

* * *

**4 weeks earlier...**

Cythonna walks in her human guise along the streets of the town called Smallville. An apt name for this wretched insignificant place. She is here for one simple reason; to find Kal-El. Her followers had spent many months tracking down the significance of the human name he spoke to her.

A few days ago they found a headline from an old newspaper about Clark Kent finding some caves. Caves with an extremely unique language scrawled on its walls. A language Cythonna knows only too well. Kryptonian.

The vile spawn of her rival Rao had obviously been visiting this planet for many centuries as humans measure time.

Anyway Cythonna is walking down the street when she spots him across the street. She can do more than that. She can smell him, sense his power. She comes to a stop and stares at him as he sits outside a...café or something it is called. He is with this blond girl who Cythonna can sense possesses a not insignificant amount of power of her own.

The girl looks familiar. Cythonna muses on it for a moment. Of course she has seen this girl from her servant Camille's memories. This is this Buffy that Camille so despises.

From the way the two are interacting Cythonna can guess that Kal-El has taken this girl to be his mate. Interesting. Cythonna could kill her just to make Kal-El suffer but she promised to her servant that Camille would be the one to destroy Buffy and while Cythonna is many things she keeps her promises.

Besides this is not the moment Cythonna plans to strike Kal-El anyway. Her mistake last time had been to confront him the second she first met him. It had been a mistake. Cythonna could admit that to herself. She had overestimated how much her powers had regenerated and underestimated just how powerful the effect of the yellow sun had made Kal-El.

After that last confrontation she swore to herself to plan the next battle to be on her grounds. She had done the first part of her plan. She had found him. Now she will watch him. Understand how he lives his life, how he thinks, learn any secrets he might be keeping and allow herself to choose the perfect moment to crush him.

* * *

**The present...**

Even with her powers now fully restored Cythonna will very grudgingly admit that Kal-El is still quite a formidable opponent. A punch to her face, to her midsection followed by a kick to her head sending her flying through the icy columns shattering them.

She shakes her head and gets back to her feet hiding the tiny little smile that is threatening to appear as Kal-El comes at her with all his speed and strength. It was all going perfectly as with her ambush she had managed to focus Kal-El's attention solely on her and not on the environment around them because otherwise surely he would ask why the structure around them was glowing with an unearthly red light.

Cythonna launches herself forward and the two titanic power clash once more making the whole Fortress shake.

* * *

**3 weeks ago...**

'How terribly amusing ,' Cythonna thinks to herself as she watches from afar her soon to be foes in battle have a little meeting to try and plan a counter to her. The only counter they have is Kal-El and he will be dealt with before she makes her first move to subjugate this world to her will.

Cythonna stays and listens to their plans about organising an army against them. 'Good,' she thinks to herself. Let them come and she will crush them for the whole world to see. In fact in the long run it might be for the better. Let Kal-El's allies send their army against hers. Let this world's governments send their armies against her and she will defeat them all and once she has defeated them all she will force their unconditional surrender and unconditional worship of her as their God.

So let them come. It will save her the time and effort of hunting them down.

* * *

**The Present...**

Gee what a mess they are making...and seriously that is what he is thinking right now. Here he is locked in a struggle with an actual God and Clark's brain comes up with the total lame thought about the mess they are making.

The battle rages across the Fortress and a more appropriate thought probably is just how much more can it take before this fight destroys the place completely.

Clark gets slammed into a pillar with Cythonna's hands around his throat choking him. His eyes glow red and he slams his heat vision into her chest sending her flying across the Fortress. She gets back up and Clark takes a second to wipe sweat from his forehead. That's a bit unusual for him but then again how often does he fight a God.

Clark watches Cythonna picks herself up and dust herself down. "Foolish boy!" she mocks him. "I am immortal. Nothing you can do can hurt me."

"You said something similar last time and as I recall I wasn't the one who ending up bleeding."

"I was not at my full power last time we fought Kal-El. I am this time and I can assure you the only one who shall bleed is you," she promises darkly.

She flies at him and Clark tries his freeze breath but it doesn't quite have its normal kick so she blasts right through it and plows into him and their fight resumes.

* * *

**2 weeks ago...**

Cythonna's opinion of Kal-El was pretty low to start with. After all he is a Kryptonian, the children of her hated enemy Rao, a race responsible for the death of her own children. In fact loathing does not even come close to describing her feelings for Kryptonians and neither does hate nor anger. It is beyond that but despite that she had offered Kal-El a chance to rule this world by her side once.

She had been prepared to push her feelings aside because he possessed a potential no other being on this pathetic word possessed. Also it would have really got up Rao's nose to see one of his precious children joined to her. That thought alone would have made it worth while but Kal-El rejected her and he'll pay. She swore that day that she would have him on his knees before her before she ends his life and she will.

That task is getting easier by the day the more she studies him and realises how infected with compassion he is for these humans. It would be why her opinion of him is dropping with each passing day.

For these last 2 weeks she has watched him go out and use his powers to aid these humans who look at him with awe and admiration every single time. If he was wise or if he was her he would have used that sentiment to establish himself as a god to these humans but no he flies in, aids them and flies off without asking for a single thing in return.

Her opinion of Kal-El sinks to calling him pathetic as she watches him don a disguise to blend in and pretend he is a meek, weak human. Right now he is attempting to get a...job it is called at an establishment called the Daily Planet.

At this point Cythonna loses interest. Let him pretend to be one of them all he wants for the short time he has left to him.

* * *

**The present...**

Clark blocks a blow and counters with one of his own. It could just be his imagination but the blows he manages to land seem to have less effect on her and hurt his hand more as time passes.

He throws another punch to find it blocked and then countered with one to his gut bending him over and knocking the wind out of him. Then before Clark knows it a knee is connecting with his face and he can hear and definitely feel his nose break and the force snaps his head back hard enough to almost break his neck.

Cythonna strides forward, grabs Clark by the lapels of his coat and physically throws him across the Fortress smashing through more of the great columns.

Clark lands in a heap struggling to regain his breath. He pushes himself up to his knees when he snaps his hand back from the sharp pieces of broken crystal due to a sudden sharp pain. He raises his hand and looks at it in shock at the red thick viscous liquid oozing from it.

He is bleeding!

* * *

**1 week ago...**

Even Cythonna's patience grows weary studying Kal-El's life. The time may be soon for her to strike. In fact she could do so right now as she has no doubt Kal-El must be tired from his mating with Buffy. It had been many hours since she saw the two of them retire to engage in their coupling.

However Cythonna feels there is something she has not yet seen. Kal-El is a Kryptonian yet she has seen nothing of Krypton. Only Kal-El trying to indulge in pretending to fit in with these mortals. She believes that he must have brought something of that now long dead world here to this world. Something that she can use to aid her so she'll endure this game for a short time more.

A short time later that very night she watches Kal-El leave the Buffy girl asleep in bed as he flies off into the night sky totally unaware of the fact he is being watched. Cythonna's powers have almost returned to their full breadth. Enough to hide herself from even Kal-El's senses.

Cythonna follows Kal-El as he heads towards this planet's polar region. As the sea and land gives way to ice she spots what she was waiting and looking for rising into the sky. A Kryptonian structure based on the crystal technology they created.

Cythonna sits herself down on a nearby mountain and waits and watches once more. Time is of little meaning when you are immortal. Humans runs around desperately trying to fit as much as they can into their short and as far as Cythonna is concerned meaningless little lives. When she takes over she will give their lives meaning in serving and worshipping her.

For Cythonna she can afford to take her time, choose her moments to act even if she must wait centuries. Of course as far as Kal-El is concerned centuries he does not have. Now she has found this place his life will now be measured in days at most. Her urgency is also due to the fact her activities must have been noticed by now by her ancient enemies, primarily the Olympians. No doubt they will make their own moves to stop her which is why in this instant she will not be waiting centuries to choose her moment.

Kal-El leaves and Cythonna flies herself down and steps inside the structure. Her lips curl up into a slightly disgusting snarl. This place so very much reminds her of that hated planet of Krypton.

"CYTHONNA!" a voice booms out.

"Identify yourself!" Cythonna commands.

"I am Jor-El, father of Kal-El."

Cythonna chuckles as she works out what this Jor-El really is. "You are a ghost," she denounces Jor-El. "You are an echo of a man who has long since departed this plane of existence."

"I am his will and everything he was."

Cythonna scoffs. "That is an awful lot of ego for an overblown computer programme."

"Leave this place!" Jor-El orders.

"You forget your place machine!" she says as demeaningly as possible. "I am a God! I do not receive orders! I give them!"

"Your time has come to its end."

"My time has only just begun!" she declares before raising her hand at the panel of crystals and ribbons of white energy erupt from her finger tips.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Jor-El asks his voice becoming strangled.

Cythonna smirks evilly. "You'll see soon enough as will your son."

It takes a little effort of her part to overcome the annoying imprint that calls itself Jor-El but eventually her will triumphs as she interfaces with the technology surrounding her. She has a plan. A deliciously ironic one that will turn this last bastion of Krypton against the last Kryptonian.

Cythonna understands how the yellow sun grants Kal-El his powers so she will strip him of that power. This structure can generate light identical to the red sun of the solar system both she and Kal-El come from. The red sun under which Kal-El is not all that much stronger than a human. She will lure him here into a trap. She will fight him forcing him to drain the energy his body stores. It will almost be too easy but as soon as Kal-El is out of her way she has a world to subjugate.

Speaking of that she will have to gather her army and make the necessary preparations. That will take several days.

* * *

**The present...**

A cruel cold smile forms on Cythonna's face as she sees Kal-El's red blood ooze from cuts on his hand. All had gone according to her plan.

She zips forward and kicks Kal-El hard in his side sending him crashing across this remnant of Krypton Kal-El had created for himself.

She walks forward deliberately slowly with a kind of warm satisfaction at hearing him cough painfully. She most certainly broke some of his ribs.

She comes to stand above him and picks him up by his clothes until his feet are off the ground. "You know I just realised I never managed to say it before so I'll say it now. Hello Kal-El. How nice to see you again," she says in the most mockingly sweet voice as she can produce. She smiles at the look of distain she gets from him in return. "You are no doubt wondering how it is you are bleeding and are in so much pain. Look around you," she instructs him.

Clark does just that if only to buy him some time to figure out his next course of action.

"Red light. An exact match to Krypton's red sun," she explains. Cythonna can then see understanding dawn in Kal-El's eyes. "Yes. I see you understand now. This fight was a ploy. I was simply wearing you down until the charge of this world's yellow sun wore off and now that it has I think you know you are now at my mercy."

"What do you want?" Clark asks her, again more a delaying tactic than anything else.

Cythonna proclaims coldly, "Exactly what I promised last time we met. You on your knees before me."

Clark doesn't answer that directly. "You have all this power yet you still intend to force the peoples of this world into worshipping you don't you?"

"I am a God," is Cythonna's answer.

"Power can be used to set an example for people to follow. It doesn't have to be used to force them to do anything. It can be used to help them and in the process inspire them to better themselves."

Cythonna chuckles actually genuinely amused by this somewhat foolish notion. "I can see living here amongst these creatures has infected you with foolish notions of compassion Kal-El. I can assure you that my time since my awakening has not had the same effect on me."

"Then why am I still alive?" Clark asks the very pertinent question since sparing him could be argued to be an act of compassion.

"Because I desire it. It is my will to have you live long enough to see this world bow down to me and you shall see it just before I end your miserable existence."

Cythonna slams Clark into one of the icy pillars and holds him there with one hand while in the other she conjures up what looks an ice stake which she then slams through Clark's left shoulder. All the way through until the stake is embedded into the pillar. Clark cries out in pain just as she slams another one into his right shoulder all the way through just like his left leaving him pinned there helpless. "There that will hold you until I'm done," she declares.

Cythonna looks him over quickly just to make sure she didn't hit anything vital that would cause him to bleed to death. Satisfied that she has not she places her finger under his chin and makes him look up at her, into her pupil-less, emotionless, cold, white eyes. "Enjoy what time you have left Kal-El because when next we meet it will be your end," she informs him coolly.

She then vanishes leaving Clark all alone and helpless.

* * *

**Less than an hour ago...**

It in fact took one week precisely for Cythonna to ready her followers for her first strike upon this world. She then returned to the northern polar region to initiate her plan. Cythonna had the structure bath the interior in red light and then through her command of the structure she sent a signal, a summoning, only Kal-El could hear.

It was all too predictable when Kal-El came flying in a short time later. That is when she ambushed and attacked him. That is when she allowed the fight to drag on until Kal-El's powers were drained. That is when she left him literally hanging still alive because that is what she desired.

That problem dealt with Cythonna turns her attentions to subjugating this world. As fate would have it the world leaders were attending what she had learned was called the General Assembly of the United Nations. It couldn't have been more perfect if she planned it herself. This world's leaders all in one place at one time where they will surrender their nations and their people unto her unconditionally or face her wrath and her wrath is to be feared.

The nation of any leader that refuses will be wiped from the earth.

Cythonna makes herself appear in a flash of blinding light inside the assembly hall of the United Nations building. A tad theatrical perhaps but it is all part of her plan as she looks upon the startled faces of all those present. A cold smile comes to her face.

Now it begins...

* * *

_Author's Note: This is the beginning of the final arc of my story. Cythonna's rise and the battle to stop her. Not a great start for our heroes with Clark down. Of course he isn't out for the count just yet. Thanks to everyone who reviews. Next up; Cythonna Rises._


	74. Part 4 Chapter 28: Cythonna Rises I

Chapter 28: Cythonna Rises I

Buffy has been at Slayer HQ for the last few days just catching up on things while Clark gets on with his new job at the Planet. Not that there is much to catch up on as things in the underworld were dead...she means deader than normal. Cythonna it seems had managed to get them all wrapped around her little finger. The utter quiet was being interpreted as the quiet before the storm. From what Angel reported even Wolfram and Hart were worried about what was happening which considering how powerful they are only hammers it home how great a threat they were all about to face.

The end of the world...at least as they knew it. Cythonna wasn't into that ending the world stuff. She was into subjugating it into worshipping her as a God. Still Buffy had a funny feeling that there was something darker there. Something they didn't know about and that they didn't learn from their trip to the future.

If Buffy put her concerns about Cythonna to the side she would say that generally her life was pretty good for once. Her and Clark were back together and it was all going swell...

Swell?

Oh good god she has been hanging around Clark way too long if she is using words like that.

Back on topic. Her and Clark are doing great. It is in some ways almost like when they first got together. They couldn't seem to get enough of each other. This had caused them to go through on average a bed a week.

Clark was also so much cheerier. She is obviously meaning not counting the oodles of great sex they were having. Away from that she is meaning he was basically like his old self. He was even back to wearing glasses and ill-fitting suits to pull off that secret identity bit of his. He had gotten himself a job at the Daily Planet alongside Lois and Chloe and Buffy could see that while she may never get that reporting bug as Chloe referred to it as it made Clark happy. Even in her own less than informed opinion she thought Clark had a knack for writing. He wrote in an engaging manner drawing the reader in although she never told him that. What she jokily told him was that 'Too many big words make Buffy's brain hurt'.

Buffy's gaze shifts up from where she is sitting as she spots Faith enter the Commands Centre. There is an unmistakable sway to the way Faith walks. A more pronounced one than Faith's usual. Seems she and Clark are not the only ones having oodles of great sex although Buffy tries real hard not to picture what Faith and Xander get up to.

"I'm bored," Faith declares as she sits down next to Buffy. "I haven't had a good fight in ages."

"I thought that is what Xander is for. You know to scratch your itch," Buffy says.

"He does but there are only so many rooms in this castle and I think we have done them all."

"Oh god there's an image I could do without."

"Like you and the farm boy are any better," Faith retorts. "I saw the way you walked in here when you arrived," she points out meaning it wasn't hard to spot from the way Buffy was walking slightly gingerly that she and Clark had obviously been having a lot of sex.

"Faith I've told you how I don't talk to you about this stuff," Buffy reminds her fellow slayer. Buffy isn't shy or embarrassed by what she and Clark do. It is just she does not talk about it in the same graphic detail that Faith enjoys talking about it in.

"You're no fun you know that B," Faith complains with a pout.

"Oh dear. How ever will I live with myself knowing you think that," Buffy says with complete sarcasm.

Faith childishly sticks her tongue out at Buffy. She then sighs. "You want honesty?"

"I'll probably regret this but go on."

"What I have with Xander...I think...maybe I'm actually happy for once in my life and the sex is...well dayumn. I'll have to remember to thank Anya some time," she says in reference to the late ex-vengeance demon she is assuming taught Xander everything he has been doing to her lately because really Faith would actually have to say Xander could arguably be the best she has ever had.

Buffy scrunches her eyes closed. "Faith. Get to the point please," she requests.

"Spoilsport. Anyway what I was saying is that even though me and Xan ain't lacking in any department I'm still a slayer B. So are you and that urge to fight is always there. Say it ain't," she dares.

Buffy lets out a breath. "No it is. In fact it is worse for me than it use to be," she confesses due to her extra demonic nature. The urges...the darker impulses are a lot stronger than they use to be.

"You coping though right?" Faith asks with real genuine concern.

"I get by. Have no choice do I. If I lose control you'll have to...well you know what you have to do," Buffy vaguely says feeling she doesn't need to spell it out what has to be done if she goes off the deep end.

"It won't ever come to that."

"We'll see," Buffy says with a funny half-smile as it would be kind of ironic if Faith did end up having to stop her like Buffy had had to stop Faith all those years ago when Faith went off the deep end.

Just then klaxons sound forcing the two slayers to cover their ears.

"I thought you were going to get Xander to get rid of that!" Buffy shouts at Faith.

"I forgot!" Faith admits. She shouts at the Slayers manning the centre, "Someone shut that damn thing off!" she orders.

It takes a few minutes but someone shuts the alarm off.

"So what's the sitch?" Faith asks.

"We've found Cythonna," one of the slayers reports.

"Just like that?" Buffy asks sceptically since all their searching before had found squat.

"I think she is making her move," the slayer reports back.

"How can you tell?"

An image is fed up onto the large screen set amongst smaller screens that is the slayer's monitoring system. An image of Cythonna. The slayer points at it. "See that?" she asks either of the senior slayers.

"Yeah," both Buffy and Faith say.

"That would be her at the General Assembly of the United Nations. Virtually every world leader is in attendance."

Buffy struggles with what to say in response to that. "That's...um...that's..."

"That's us up shit creek without a paddle," Faith not so helpfully observes.

"Thanks for the imagery there Faith," Buffy says sarcastically before trying to get her mind focussed on dealing with this. She watches on the monitor as Cythonna turns the security personnel trying to stop her into ice statues and seals all the entrances and exits so as to hold the world's leaders hostage.

This is...Buffy has no description. All her life since she became the Slayer everything she did was hidden in shadow and concealed from the world but Cythonna has just blown that cosy compromise out of the water. Yes it had slowly been changing because of Clark and the rest of Justice but nothing this blatantly open and aggressive.

Cythonna has basically just exposed everything supernatural including the Slayers as in about 5 minutes they are going to have to go off and fight her apparently on live tv.

At this point Xander runs in having heard the alarm. "What's happening?"

Buffy just points at the screen. "We're screwed. That's what's happening."

Xander's mouth hangs slightly open as soon as he realises what he is seeing. They are screwed.

On the screen Cythonna moves to the podium used to address the assembly hall.

"Turn the volume up," Buffy orders wanting to hear this.

Cythonna stands at the podium with all the regalia and superiority that comes from her Godhood. She looks down on what to her are nothing more than insects but for now they have their uses. She addresses them. "Leaders of this world you call Earth. I am Cythonna. I am your God."

One of the delegates unwisely chooses to interrupt her and claim that Allah is the one true god. Cythonna point a finger at him. A beam of pure white energy erupts from the tip of her finger hitting the man in the chest vaporising him as his death screams echoes through the hall.

"Never interrupt me!" Cythonna proclaims in an angry hiss, furious that anyone show her that kind of disrespect.

The other delegates remain where they are in numb muted shock.

Cythonna regains her composure and continues. "As I was saying. I am your God and what you just witnessed is the merest fraction of my power." She smirks slightly. "I know what each and everyone one of you are thinking. What is it I want? The answer is simple. Your immediate and unconditional surrender of your countries, your nations, your peoples and every inch of this planet unto me. This will be followed by the abolition of all current religions and their replacement with one single world-wide religion dedicated to my worship."

Cythonna pauses for a moment waiting for that to sink in. She can sense from the minds of many a desire to die before they give up their faith. Well that can be arranged. Humans are unnecessarily stubborn. It would be so much easier just to accept her rule. "You will find I can be a very generous deity but I can be an extremely vengeful one as well."

She picks up more thoughts. Some wondering if this is some sort of trick. "I can assure you that this is no trick." When she says it she can see some of the leader's expressions of surprise that she knew what they were thinking. "To answer your questions yes I can read your minds. It is pithingly simple. You are simple creatures after all."

She can sense that only makes some of their views harden. Cythonna inwardly sighs. "I see a demonstration of my power is going to be necessary. Very well but know this the millions that die will be on your heads."

Than a thought occurs to her what exactly she could do. It makes her smile as it will be a perfect way to rub...salt into the wounds as the human phrase it into Kal-El. "At dawn tomorrow I will destroy the city known as Metropolis," she announces. "I give you that long to organise its defence. Send your armies against me and I shall crush them. I will wipe Metropolis off the face of this planet and then each and every one of you will bow down to me and pledge your undying worship in me as your one and only God. Any leader that refuses will find their capital city destroyed in the same way I will destroy Metropolis. Continued defiance of me will result in your entire nation and its people being wiped cleaned as if it and they never existed in the first place. Ponder this as you make your decision. Ponder this as you watch Metropolis' annihilation and imagine it happening to your own cities. Ponder these facts carefully as you weigh defiance of me against the billions of people that will die if you try to resist. Ponder this and choose. Worship me and you shall live. Defy me and you shall die. Life or death? The choice is yours."

Cythonna then vanishes in a flash of white light.

Back as slayer HQ one of the girls asks, "Can she really do that? Wipe a city away?"

Buffy would love to say no. That it is the exaggeration of a deluded mind but considering that Willow had a vision of a world turned into a permanent winter wonderland by Cythonna where the Goddess won Buffy can't say that.

Before Buffy can reply though more alarms go off. "What's happening?"

"We're picking up an increase in the supernatural ether in Metropolis," one of the girls reports.

"Huh?" is Buffy's reply to that.

Xander is the one to explain. "Will installed a kind of magical world-wide sensor grid that picks up unusual concentrations of demonic energy so you know we can pick up on the big bads."

"Okaaaay," Buffy drawls slowly, really wishing she had paid more attention in meetings because frankly she seemed to have missed this bit somehow. "Cythonna isn't a demon," she points out.

Xander is too busy looking over the readings to give a response to that. "Crap," he mutters as he realises what it is they are picking up.

"Crap?" Faith queries.

"They're portals like you know when Wolfram and Hart brought their wrath down on Angel but this is on an even bigger scale. My guess would be that all those demons Cythonna has been recruiting this last year are descending on Metropolis. The word overkill obviously must not be in her vocabulary."

Buffy knows what has to be done now. "Alright. It's time to put what we planned into action. Contact Will and get her here. Contact Justice and let Mr so unfashionable green leather pants what is going on as well."

Xander nods and sets about doing that. Willow was still staying with Chloe but Buffy needs her here to co-ordinate the next phase. When they had their council of war meeting a few weeks back they had planned how to move about large numbers of slayers to where there were needed and if Xander is right about this being bigger than what Wolfram and Hart brought done on Angel then Buffy thinks they will need to teleport every slayer who is able to Metropolis.

A short time later Willow arrives and begins the process of co-ordinating all the other witches to opening the portals required to transport the slayer army to a gathering point just outside Metropolis.

Buffy is trying to reach Clark with no luck. "Come on. Pick up," she mutters into her phone having already tried the usual trusted method of just shouting his name which hadn't achieved anything. Nothing. No answer. "Dammit!"

She the throws her phone in frustration shattering it against the wall.

"No luck."

Buffy turns her head to see Xander walking up next to her. She shakes her head in the negative. "He has to know," she points out as there is no way Clark could be that oblivious for this long.

"Unless..." Xander starts to say.

Buffy points at him with a glare. "Don't say it!"

Xander decides it needs to be said. "Unless the reason Cythonna is making her move now is that she has already gotten the biggest threat to her plans out of the way."

"I said not to say it!" Buffy exclaims even if that very thought had crossed her mind. She just doesn't want to believe that. Moreover she can't afford to think that right now. She is about to fight a war and she needs to focus.

"You need to plan for it Buffy," Xander says in a serious tone because in a way Clark was the plan. He alone having the power needed to go toe to toe with a god.

Buffy quickly thinks it over. "It'll have to be me and Illyria. We're the biggest guns after Clark." Her gaze briefly flicks over to Will across the room. "I want to avoid it being Will if we can," she says to Xander in a low voice.

Xander understands. For Willow to fight a god would mean her reaching into that dark place inside her and they risk ending up with a problem as big as Cythonna and risk that future where Darth Willow had destroyed the world becoming reality. "You know from what Will said Zatanna is pretty powerful," Xander says suggesting using her instead of Willow.

Buffy checks her watch. "We should have a few hours by the time we all reach Metropolis before dawn. I'll chat to Zatanna when we're there and decide."

"You going to be ok?" Xander asks her as in is she going to be able to do this.

Buffy looks him straight in the eye. "I have to be," she declares. There is simply no choice. If Cythonna wins there is no future for anyone.

* * *

**At the gathering point outside Metropolis...**

"Glad you could make it Queen C," Faith greets the arrival of Angel and company.

Cordy arches one perfectly maintained eyebrow. Queen C. God that takes her back. She then looks around at the army of hundreds of slayers. It was really something and the strangest part is that since she is a slayer too there is a connection linking them all. In a sense she can feel everyone of them. "Sooooo...the end of the world again?"

Faith smirks. "Yep. Exciting ain't it."

Sadly Cordy has to say the slayer in her is getting a thrill out of what is about to come. Her musings are interrupted by a loud voice proclaiming "I've died and gone to heaven!"

Cordy spots a young man dressed in a red hoodie with lightning bolts on it. The same one who flirted with her back during that whole Gotham, searching for Zatanna escapade. He is accompanied by the rest of Justice.

"You'll certainly be dead by the time you find one willing to date you," AC jokes.

"Oh come on dude," Bart exclaims. "Hundreds of superstrong girls. Tell me you aren't dreaming of the possibilities."

"There is only one girl he dreams of," Cyborg points out. "And she has long red hair and lives in the ocean."

"That Mera chick?" Bart inquires as he recalls this one meeting they had where she came with AC.

"Don't call her that," AC tells off Bart. "And why is my love life the only one under discussion here?"

"Because Ollie and Dinah are already some boring old couple..."

"Hey!" the said 'boring old couple' complain in unison.

Bart continues "and...uh...Zee..."

"Will turn him into toad if he dares finish that sentence," Zee says with an overly innocent smile.

"What she said." Bart turns to Oliver. "So is Bats going to show?" he wonders.

Oliver shrugs unable to give a definite answer. "I left a message but he always does things his own way. I expect he will make an appearance when he deems the moment is right."

Elsewhere amongst the crowds...

"I bet you never thought you would see a day like this huh G-Man," Xander remarks to Giles.

Giles takes his glasses off and cleans them. "Indeed not," he confirms. Sunnydale collapsing was one thing. People dismissed it as an anomalous geological event; a sink-hole. This...Giles replaces his glasses. There could be no more keeping it hidden or secret. There was no way to know how the world would react but Giles is going to be pragmatic here. Save the world first. Worry about dealing with the ramifications afterwards. Speaking of ramifications Angel is raising some of those with Buffy.

"What about the military?" Angel asks Buffy. "Considering Cythonna's show they aren't going to ignore it."

Buffy rubs her temple. "I know. I know and if they show up they will only get themselves killed. Bullets and bombs may stop some of her army but they won't put a dent on her."

Angel looks at Buffy with mild concern. Usually at this point she would be cracking some of her tension relieving jokes but there is nothing. "You alright?"

"I'm feeling slightly nauseous actually. I think the tension is getting to me."

"Ok you're definitely not alright," Angel decides.

"How do you figure that?"

"You haven't made one joke since I got here."

"We all have to grow up sometime Angel and hey in case you forgot I'm more demon-y now than you were on your worst day."

"I'm not saying you aren't serious when the time calls for it because you are but you aren't...being...you."

Buffy shakes her head with a half-smile. "Gee that was descriptive," she says with some of her normal sarcastic flair.

"Better," Angel comments at the somewhat lame quip but at least it was one. "So what is wrong?"

"Look around and tell me who isn't here."

Angel does that and eventually he notices it. "Clark."

"Clark," Buffy confirms. "And before you ask no I have no idea where he is or what has happened to him and I'm trying real hard not to dwell on it too much because very shortly we are about to go head to head with a God."

Angel decides not to continue this subject. "So...uh..." his gaze falls upon Dawn and Connor. "You letting Dawn stay?"

Buffy briefly looks at her sister and shrugs her shoulders. "She's an adult as much as I hate to admit it and well if Cythonna isn't stopped here and now there isn't going to be much of a future is there. Besides by the number of portals that were opened is anything to go by we are probably vastly outnumbered and will need every hand we got."

"So back to my original question what about the military. You must expect them to show up at some point."

"We phoned Riley and even though he was wanting to spend some time away from all this he said he would do what he could to keep the military out of this until we all meet our horrible deaths."

Another quip. Perhaps she will be alright.

"Besides," Buffy continues. "Cythonna never really gave them enough time to organise anything properly. After all they never knew this was coming. We did which is why we're ready and able to do this in such a short time."

"And if we survive everyone will know we exist Buffy," Angel points out.

"I know but lets survive first. We'll just have to deal with that later. Besides this has been coming for awhile. The world...its changing and we have to change with it."

* * *

Dawn. The event not the person.

As soon as the sun starts to peek over the horizon there is an immediate cold wind that blows through and the temperature drops. Clouds form from nothing and fill the skies above Metropolis. It is only moments later the first few flakes of snow begin to fall.

"She's here," Buffy deduces.

No-one disputes her assessment.

"Here! Take this!" Faith shouts at Buffy.

Buffy turns round just as the Slayer Scythe comes at her. Buffy catches it and looks at Faith quizzically.

"You'll need it more than me," Faith expresses her opinion. "Maybe it can cut into the bitch's hide."

Maybe it can Buffy muses to herself. She takes a few seconds to re-accustom herself to the weight and balance of the weapon by making a few moves with it. She then turns to her partner in crime for this foolhardy endeavour. "You up for this?"

Cold crystal blue eyes glare at Buffy. "I was...'up for this'...as you put it before the human race came into being," Illyria states with a tone of utter superiority.

"Don't take offence but you are not exactly what you once were."

"Your words are true," Illyria says with a little distain at how small she has become. Then her whole posture and accent changes to include a Texan twang. "But I reckin it will be one hell of a brawl."

Buffy looks at the former God-King wondering why on earth she chose to go into battle with someone who has split-personality issues. That whole merger thing with Fred doesn't seem to quite have worked as advertised. "Any time you're ready Will!" she calls out.

Willow is hovering in a sitting position, cross-legged with her eyes closed. She is reaching out with her magic trying to hone in on where Cythonna is. She gasps suddenly, her eyes open only they are turned completely white.

Willow speaks only her voice echoes in a deep bass. "Any time you're ready Slayer. I'll be waiting for you. Daily Planet building. That is of course if you can get here alive." Willow's lips curl up into a cruel smile before she laughs mockingly.

Buffy's face hardens as she marches over to Willow and grabs her friend by the shoulders and shakes her. "Will! Snap out of it! Are you seriously going to let her boss you around?"

For a few seconds nothing happens until Willow's eyes revert to normal and with a gasp she falls to the ground. She lets out a groan. "Remind me not to do that again," Willow mutters.

"You alright?" Buffy asks as she helps to Willow to her feet.

"Yeah. I'll be alright. I just underestimated her a bit. You need to get going. She is where she said."

Daily Planet. Buffy knows that can't be a coincidence. There are taller buildings in Metropolis but that is the only one where Clark works. She tries not to dwell too much on what that means. She briefly looks up into the sky as the clouds darken and the snow falls even heavier. She turns to Faith. "Lets get moving."

Faith sticks her fingers in her mouth and whistles loudly. "We're moving out!" she yells at the assembled army. "You all know what you have to do! I don't need to tell ya! I know you'll all do what is needed! Just remember we're never alone! Stick close to each other and we'll get through this!"

Buffy arches an eyebrow and smiles a tiny bit. Faith has come a really long way from that angry dark girl she was when they first met.

An explosion from within the city soon snaps Buffy back to the here and now. It seems Cythonna has started the destruction. Let the battle begin.

* * *

_Author's Note: Sorry this update has been so slow. It seems the closer I get to this story's climax the more of a struggle it seems to be getting to write but I will be persevering. I will get there in the end. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up: Cythonna Rises II._


	75. Part 4 Chapter 29: Cythonna Rises II

Chapter 29: Cythonna Rises II

From within the Daily Planet building Chloe looks out the window at the falling snow and down in the streets below as an entire army of demons rampage through the streets destroying everything in sight. It is chaos. She can hear the screams of people fighting and dying from here.

Chloe had been here all night doing her job. Cythonna's appearance at the UN was the top news story.

Now where the hell was Clark?

That was the question. He hadn't turned up for work and his alter ego was nowhere to be seen out there. A pang of worry about him shoots through her.

Chloe looks at her phone. Message from Will. Two words. _'We're coming.'_

Chloe hopes it's soon. She turns around to look for Lois only to find her cousin heading for the exit. Chloe runs across the news floor, grabbing her coat as she goes and catches up with the brunette or at least she is a brunette this week. "Lois," Chloe hisses. "What are you doing?"

Lois replies in an oddly calm voice. "My job."

Chloe grabs hold of Lois' arm and pulls her cousin to a halt. "Lois look I'm as much for doing my job as you are but this..."

"Could very well be the end of the world?"

Chloe nods.

"All the more reason someone has to be out there Chlo. Someone has to be there and record this."

"You're right," Chloe says in sudden agreement. "But you are not going alone. I'm coming with you," she insists.

"And so am I." Lois and Chloe turn their heads to find Jimmy Olsen standing there camera in hand.

"The hell you are Olsen," Lois scoffs.

"I'm going out there. Either on my own or with you two but I'm going," Jimmy says leaving no room for even Lois to argue with him. He had overheard what Lois said and she was right. This had to be recorded for prosperity.

Lois throws her hands up. "Argh! You'll be the death of me Olsen."

Jimmy lips curve upward into a tiny amused smile at Lois' outburst since usually it is the other way round as in it is normally Lois and Chloe dragging him along into one of their insane investigations and him nearly getting killed on no less than 5 occasions he can think of off the top of his head.

Lois glares at Jimmy trying to remember how easy a pushover he used to be when they first met and wondering when he developed a spine to stand up to her. Jimmy just smiles back at her. "Fine," she capitulates. "But if you can't keep up you're on your own."

Lois turns and stalks off.

Chloe looks at her ex-boyfriend slightly miffed by decision to join them. He and her had got past all the ex-related awkwardness awhile go but sadly they were not as close friends as they once were. "Jimmy. It will be dangerous," she points out.

"I know but someone has to keep an eye on Lois. You know what she's like. She's worse than you are."

"I think I should be insulted," Chloe remarks.

Before Jimmy can explain what he means Lois sticks her head back round the corner and interrupts. "Well? Are you two coming?" she asks annoyed at being delayed.

Jimmy and Chloe chase off after Lois as the 3 head out.

* * *

As Buffy gets closer to the Daily Planet she finds herself more and more alone. As they had entered the city they had been forced to spread out in small groups to fight the demon hoards and to try and save as many people as possible. Accompanying Buffy was now just Illyria, Zatanna and 3 other slayers. The other big hitters as you could phrase it, the ones with the most experience, were leading their own groups. They needed leaders out there amongst the city to direct the girls.

Willow...as Buffy said to Xander if she can she is keeping Willow out of this.

Buffy catches out of the corner of her eye Illyria assessing Zatanna.

"You are something more than human," Illyria comments.

"I am a Homo Magi," Zatanna replies. "And we're perfectly human. Much more than you...Old One," she says with a bit of spite. Being this close to an Old One was unnerving to Zatanna to say the least. She knew of them from her studies but she never thought she would have the displeasure of meeting one face to face.

Illyria cocks her head to the side. She wonders which of her demon kin is responsible for this. It surely cannot be a natural evolution for humans to be able to channel magic like she can see this girl can.

"Okaaaay," Buffy drawls trying to cut through the obvious tension. "So has anyone noticed how easy we have had this so far?" she queries. Sure there had been a few demons but they had been dispatched with ease.

"Indeed," Illyria confirms. "This Cythonna's arrogance knows no bounds," she comments meaning that Cythonna must be allowing them to get to her in arrogant belief they are no threat. Illyria is deeply insulted.

Zatanna snorts and mutters something about that being rich.

For once in her life Buffy can't bring herself to crack a joke to break the tension. She rubs her stomach. That nauseous feeling is still there. What is wrong with her today? She doesn't need this today of all days to be ill and it is more than that. Like Angel said earlier it isn't like her not to crack jokes. She just feels...angry for one and there are other darker feelings there too.

"That is really disconcerting," Zatanna says.

"What?"

Zatanna points at Buffy's eyes. "Your eyes are yellow."

Buffy stops and looks in the glass front of the building they are passing and in the reflection she can see indeed her eyes are yellow. Oh crap. Not this. Not now. She can't afford to revert and lose control of her demon side now.

Buffy closes her eyes and starts rubbing her temples. "Calm blue ocean. Calm blue ocean," she mumbles over and over as she tries to calm herself down. She repeats that over and over even as they start walking again although really to her that is not the most relaxing image. Oh she knows. "Half price shoe sale. Half price shoe sale."

Retail therapy. Much better.

"At last! You're here!"

Buffy stops her mumblings and looks up to find Cythonna floating down from above in front of the Daily Planet building at which they have finally arrived.

The tall white skinned woman, dressed in a skin-tight blue leotard like outfit stands straight and her posture puts across this air of arrogant superiority. "I knew you would come."

"That a fact huh?" Buffy says trying to sound casual.

"Of course. Why did you think I went through that whole charade at the United Nations."

"To draw us out," Illyria states.

Cythonna grins triumphantly. "So I could destroy you in front of the whole world." Her gaze flicker to Illyria, dressed in red leather. "Today even former God-Kings will die..." She turns her gaze back to Buffy, "and so will any hope this world has to be saved."

Cythonna raises her hand and snaps her fingers and in a flash of white light Buffy and co find themselves surrounded by scores of demons. "Now you will bear witness Slayer to the power of a God."

"And you will bear witness to the power of my...uh...slayerness."

"Slayerness?" Zatanna queries sounding a great deal less than impressed.

"Ok it's not my best comeback," Buffy admits. "I'm having an off day," she explains.

'What the hell does Clark see in her?' Zatanna just has to think. 'After all I was available. He could have asked me out!'

Cythonna chuckles softly. "Well I will help you with your 'off day' by ending it along with your miserable existence." She points at the small group and orders her followers to do the next obvious task. "Destroy them!"

"Gee. You guys aren't much for the independent thought are you?" Buffy mutters as the demons charge at her. Well she might be having an off day but she can beat the hell out of some demons and make herself feel better. The first one to charge her finds it's fist caught in an iron grip before Buffy slams her foot into its side. She can hear bones shatter under the impact before with a easy swing of the scythe its head comes off.

Cythonna watches as the 6 beings quite easily dispatch her followers so she snaps her fingers and summons more. She looks up in the sky as the snow continues to fall and builds up on the ground. It won't be long now until the next part of her plan and then it shall be the end of this city that Kal-El loves so much.

* * *

"Who are the all the girls?" Jimmy asks as he watches a small group of them take apart this group of...creatures is all Jimmy can describe them as. As for the girls...they couldn't be normal either. The way they moved and fought. It was beyond human.

"Take pictures now. Get answers later!" Lois orders from their position hidden behind a dumpster. She knows the answers and when she writes this up later she'll work in some line about getting an interview. In fact when this is all over she'll have to get an actual interview. Imagine the exclusive. 'Slayers. Protecting humanity from the things that go bump in the night'. Pulitzer here she comes.

By now the 3 of them had managed to get a few blocks away from the Planet and into the city unaware that by leaving they were actually missing the main fight but those others fighting needed their story told as well. Their lives are just as meaningful as anyone else's.

Just then Chloe's phone goes off. She gets it out her pocket and answers it. It's Willow. "Hey Will!" she says overly cheerfully. "What?...Am I hold up?...In a way...Am I in any immediate danger?...I...uh...er...sort of...no," Chloe stumbles over that last bit then mentally kicks herself for saying sort of because she has a feeling what might happen now. "Will? You still there?" she asks at a prolonged silence from the other end.

There is a pause.

"This isn't sort of no Chlo!" a stern voice declares. "This most definitely is!"

Chloe, Lois and Jimmy jump.

Chloe turns round to find Willow standing there, her hand on her hips, looking at her girlfriend deeply annoyed that Chloe is outside and in danger.

Chloe smiles sheepishly. "Hey Will...honey."

"Sweet talk won't save you this time Chloe Anne Sullivan," Willow says sternly.

Lois winces for her cousin. When your partner reverts to using your full name you know you are in serious trouble.

Willow points at her own face. "And please note the resolve face."

Chloe cringes. Not the resolve face. Anything but that. However she has a job to do so she puts on her own resolve face and steps up to Willow and argues back. "This is my job whether you like it or not."

"It's dangerous."

"I've been in danger since I was 13 years old and my dad decided to move to Smallville. If anything I am a lot less reckless than I use to be."

Lois raises her hand. "I can vouch for that."

Chloe mouths 'Thank you' to Lois.

Willow stares hard at Chloe for several moments before her expression softens. "I...just...don't want anything to happen to you Chlo," she says barely above a whisper and many bad things could happen.

Chloe can hear the worry and deep emotion in the red-head's voice. She takes one of Will's hands into her own and gives it a squeeze. "I know and believe you me I have no wish to have anything happen to me but Lois made several good points about why we need to be here."

Willow quirks an eyebrow. "Lois...good points?" she says at a complete loss to comprehend that.

"Yeah. I was amazed as you are," Chloe says trying and failing to suppress her smirk.

"Oh hardy har ha," Lois says sarcastically folding her arms across her chest. "You two have been hanging around Smallville too much," she grumbles referring to how it is usually Clark who makes comments like that about her. Mentioning Clark Lois is not even trying to think about why he is not here saving the day. It causes too much worry and brings back her issue about having feelings for him when he clearly loves only Buffy.

"Uh...question," Jimmy requests with a raise of his hand.

Chloe shares a look with Will about how on earth they are going to explain the witch's sudden appearance.

"Just what is going on? I mean you," Jimmy point at Willow, "were on the phone and then you're here and as for the two of you," his finger waves back and forward between Chloe and Lois, "I know there is stuff you get up to. I don't know what exactly but I'm neither blind nor stupid although you seem to treat me as such along with most of the staff at the Planet. Really I thought after all this time I would earn just a little trust but no. Is it the fact I started wearing bow ties?" he asks while adjusting said bow tie before continuing his babble. "I'll have you know bow ties are cool!"

Lois rolls her eyes and determines to shut Olsen up so in an impulsive moment she grabs his face with both her hands and kisses him full on the lips.

* * *

Back with Buffy she has finally managed to clear a path to Cythonna. The white skinned goddess stands there looking upon the fight with this arrogant expression that puts Glory to shame. With her path clear Buffy charges at the goddess in a blur of speed. She draws the scythe back and is mere moments from delivering the blow when some monumental force hits her sending her literally flying across the street and smashing through the front of a building.

"Ok. Ow," Buffy mumbles as she raises her hand to her head before getting back to her feet and dusting herself off. First things first. Reclaim the scythe which she dropped when she was hit and then inflict mucho paino on whoever hit her.

"So Buffy. Tell me. Where's the hubby or is that still hubby to be?"

Buffy's eyebrows form a knot as the French laced accent strikes a chord. She turns round to find her attacker standing there looking like she did in that dream Buffy had weeks ago. Bleached white skin, white hair. Hell even her eyes are an icy white. "Camille. You look different. New hair do?" she queries somewhat flippantly.

"You will never get near my Mistress," Camille states confidently.

"Your Mistress? Is that a Dominatrix fetish thing? Not into that personally but hey I'm a liberal 21st century woman. No judgement here. You know beyond the fact you're a psycho bitch."

"Your words are meaningless. I serve a Goddess now and She promised me that I would be the one who got to kill you."

"Wow. I guess she was being the submissive one when you got her to promise that. Was there spanking involved?"

Camille's face fills with anger. "How dare you demean Her?" she roars.

"Hello. Mocking and demeaning people is my M.O. Where were you that you could possibly have missed that?"

"It's time for us to finish this once and for all," Camille declares and starts to move.

Buffy holds her hand up. "Now wait one second before you go charging in."

Camille stops and glowers at Buffy who is looking her up and down.

Buffy snaps her fingers. "I've got it!" she declares. "I've worked out what is different about you. You've been working on your tan haven't you."

Camille actually growls and Buffy has to make an effort to hide her smile. She is getting her groove back and all it took was to be smashed through a building to motivate her.

"Hallowed is Cythonna. Her mercy know no bounds but nether does Her wrath against the blasphemer," Camille chants.

"Did you practice that in front of the mirror?" Buffy snaps mockingly.

Camille's face fills with rage and she charges at Buffy, her fist drawn back but Buffy is way ahead of her. Camille's attack is sloppy, brought on by anger, which is always the point of Buffy's mocking. Get them angry. Get them unfocused. Make them sloppy. Buffy punches Camille hard sending the now disciple of Cythonna flying all the way back out into the middle of the street.

Camille rubs her jaw in shock at how much that hurt. It shouldn't hurt that much. Not with the power her Goddess gifted her with. There is a whoosh and Buffy appears above her.

"Oops! Forgot to mention I got an upgrade since we last met although if you were even half smart you would have figured that out before now."

Camille pushes herself to her feet and thinks. "The box..." she remembers. The Slayer box. She had been too busy trying to escape the facility back in Siberia before it was destroyed to think about what happened to the power that should have been hers. Another thing Buffy has stolen from her fuelling the rage inside she feels at Buffy. Her face twists with hatred and with a roar she charges at Buffy.

* * *

Back to the fight outside the Daily Planet building Zatanna blasts a wave of demons back with a pulse of magical energy.

"Witch!" Zatanna hears Illyria refer to her as.

Zatanna's face darkens slightly as she turns a demon into a puppy. "That's sorceress!" Zatanna corrects the Old One.

Illyria's fist shatters the skull of the demon she is fighting and it drops down to the ground dead. "There is little difference," Illyria expresses her opinion as she puts another demon in a headlock and wretches its head off its shoulders.

"Is there a reason you're insulting me when we are fighting for our lives?" Zatanna queries as she teleports more demons away to some place about 20 miles straight up. Try and survive that.

"This fight is merely a distraction to wear us down. Teleport me to Cythonna," Illyria commands.

Leaving Zatanna and the 3 slayers to fend for themselves but on the slim chance Illyria might pull it off Zatanna decides 'What the hey!' and does it.

Cythonna stiffens as she senses the increase in magical energy but before she can react she feels a blow hit her on the back catching her off guard and knocking her down face first into the ever increasing amounts of snow lying on the ground.

Illyria as she was and as she is now is many things. Some would call her arrogant and self-important amongst other terms. Those who call her that though do not know what she was. Those terms do not apply to someone who was once a King amongst Gods.

She was also never a fool. Powerful she may have been but it never meant she underestimated her opponents. She assessed them for what they were. If they had even the potential to one day challenge her greatness she did not hesitate to crush them before that potential came to fruition. Now in this state where she is only a fraction of what she once was she faces a foe who may well be her superior.

In her time millions of years ago you paid reverence to your superiors and that instinct is there. However there is another urge within her that comes from the human soul of Winifred Burkle with whom she merged herself into one that says to never accept that Cythonna is superior and that fighting for what is right is important.

Listening to that instinct Illyria quickly follows up by laying kicks into her opponent before grabbing Cythonna by one arm and one leg, spinning the Goddess around and throwing her way off into the distance where she impacts a billboard standing atop a building which shatters under the impact. Illyria, using her own not inconsiderable speed, runs in pursuit to continue the attack before Cythonna can recover.

* * *

Back with Buffy and her fight with Camille is destroying the street. Camille manages to land a kick to Buffy's stomach momentarily winding her giving Camille the chance to pick up a nearby abandoned car and slam it down on top of Buffy.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

Four times for good measure.

Camille stares at the wrecked car for a moment before it gets tossed away like a piece of spaghetti.

"You know," Buffy says as she gets back to her feet, her clothes now slightly torn, "you could at least have hit me with a classy car," she complains.

Camille glares at her and all Buffy does in quirk an eyebrow. "What? Have I got something on my face? It's oil isn't it?" Buffy looks down at herself and can see oily, greasy stains on her clothes. "Dammit! Do you know how hard oil based stains are to get out?"

Camille charges at Buffy shoulder charging the blond slayer in the gut before punching Buffy repeatedly across the face. "Do..." _punch, "_you..." _punch,_ "ever..." _punch,_ "shut..." _punch,_ "up!" Camille screams.

Camille throws another punch which Buffy catches. She then locks a glare with Camille. "Angry yet?" she asks in a calm voice. "Good. Now you know how I feel. I think it is time to let out some of that anger. All I need is a punching bag." A slightly dark smile comes to Buffy. "And guess what Camille you're it."

Camille's focus is lost for a split second when Buffy's eyes flash yellow. It is all Buffy needs as she scores a roundhouse across Camille's face. More punches follow followed by some kicks. Camille tries to counter but Buffy gracefully dodges every blow.

Camille grows more and more frustrated. This is impossible. She is the Chosen of Cythonna. She is the one meant to lead the whole world in worship of its one true God. Yet she can't beat frickin Buffy Summers!

With a cry of rage she slams her foot into the road, cracking it and making the whole area shake. Buffy gracefully flips out of the way onto the roof of a car, landing in a crouched position. "Temper, temper," she says with a smirk.

Camille grabs a manhole cover her actions have flipped up and throws it like a Frisbee only with much more force and speed than most people can imagine. It slams into Buffy sending her flying off the car and crashing onto the bonnet of another. She coughs. That's going to leave a bruise.

Camille leaps high into the air with the aim of landing right on top of Buffy who moves at the last seconds and Camille's fist goes through the bonnet where Buffy's head had been a minute before. Buffy sweeps her foot into Camille's legs knocking Cythonna's lackey down face first. Buffy then grabs Camille by the ankle, yanks her into the air over Buffy's head and slams Camille down into the road. She then lifts Camille back the other way slamming her into the car buckling it under the force of impact and then Buffy slams Camille back into the road and then back onto the car.

In the few seconds it takes for Camille to recover Buffy grabs the manhole cover from where it ended up and the instant Camille raises her head Buffy slams the manhole cover into Camille's face as hard as she can. Camille rolls off the car onto the ground and struggles up to her knees.

"You want to know why you lost this Camille apart from the fact this is karma for your 3rd betrayal of us all?" Buffy asks before she slams the now dented manhole cover into Camille's face again. "It is because..." Buffy hits Camille again, "you suck." Buffy strikes Camille once more. "No really you do," Buffy says like Camille was contesting that fact. "Back in Paris when we first met your technique was really sloppy." Buffy hits Camille with once more causing the manhole cover to shatter.

Buffy grabs Camille by the shirt she is wearing with her left hand and delivers a right to the face. "You think some fancy powers can make up for all that but you're wrong." Another right onto Camille's nose and Buffy must admit not some insignificant satisfaction at hearing it break. "You're a loser Camille. You lost your slayer powers because of your selfish greeds and desires." Another right. "I whipped your ass in Siberia yet your technique has not improved one jot since then and I am whipping your ass right here and now. Then I'll go do the same to Miss 'White was soooo last season'." Another right. "The two of you are just..." _punch_, "a pair of..." _punch_, "losers!"

Camille is barely conscious by now. Buffy's punches doing a lot more damage than her own ever did. She groans and croaks out something Buffy doesn't quite hear. She pauses. "What was that?" Buffy asks.

"Clark," Camille croaks. "He's dead. She killed him." Camille manages a smile on her bruised and bloodied...ice cold blue bloodied face.

"You're lying," Buffy says in denial.

"You're the loser Buffy. Clark was the only threat and She killed him but don't worry you'll be joining him soon enough."

Buffy's expression hardens and she lifts Camille up above her head. For a moment she gives in to all the demon instincts within her. The anger, the rage and with a primal roar strikes at the fallen slayer with all her strength. Camille flies across the street, impacts the wall of a building, goes through the wall and keeps going through all the internal walls and out the other side.

Buffy zips after Camille and finds her lying there on the sidewalk covered in dust, bruised, bloodied and unconscious but alive...for now. Buffy picks Camille up. She may still have a use for the useless, double-crossing wannabe lackey. Now all Buffy needs to do is retrieve her scythe and find Cythonna.

* * *

Cythonna flings the pieces of billboard off of her seconds before punches start to reign down from above. She manages to manoeuvre one of her legs into the correct position and kicks her opponent in the gut knocking them across the roof where she landed. Cythonna gets back to her feet, her face expressing barely suppressed rage. "How dare you strike me!" she rages.

Illyria simply cocks her head to the side and charges at her opponent. Cythonna fires off her freeze vision. Illyria slows down until she becomes embedded in a block of ice. Cythonna zips forward, draws her fist back and punches through the ice and onto Illyria. The air almost ripples from the force of the blow as Illyria flies clean off the roof and into the building across the street.

Cythonna flies across, in through the hole in the wall Illyria's impact has made and lands in what is someone's shattered apartment where Illyria is struggling back to her feet. "Surrender former God-King," Cythonna commands with supreme arrogance and authority.

Illyria wipes some blood from her lips. "Gods do not surrender. They conquer or die in the attempt."

"You speak like a God but you are only a shadow of one. You know this is a battle you cannot win. After all you stand there barely, bloodied from one blow, while despite your best efforts I stand here unmarked."

Illyria summons up all her power and charges forward, bent low and drives her shoulder into Cythonna's midsection. She manages to drive Cythonna back, out through the hole in the wall. They plunge down into the street below cratering it with their impact. The former and current Gods get back to their feet exchanging blows but it quickly comes all too clear that Illyria is no longer in Cythonna's league. Cythonna lands an uppercut of immense power that sends Illyria up high into the sky well above even Metropolis' highest skyscraper.

Cythonna flies up, cracking the ground beneath her as she goes, and soars up past Illyria. She waits until Illyria reaches the pinnacle of her flight. That very moment when you are weightless and hover but for an instant just before gravity reasserts its relentless pull. Cythonna claps her hands together in a double fist and slams them onto Illyria.

The figure in her red-leather outfit plunges back down to Earth and impacts the flat roof of an apartment block, through it and all the floors within which promptly causes the building to collapse under the force of impact.

Cythonna flies back down and plunges into the pile of rubble that was the building. A mere few moments later she re-emerges dragging Illyria's broken body with her where she dumps it into the street.

Cythonna holds out her hand, a brilliant white light glowing in her palm. The light rises away from her hand creating as it goes what turns out to be a sword made out of an icy crystal like material.

Cythonna takes the sword and plunges it into Illyria's prone body. Cracks start to appear in Illyria's skin under which white energy spews forth. The cracks grow more numerous, the light more intense and just when one might think Illyria's body will explode the opposite happens as the light consumes it and it melts away into the snow.

Cythonna smiles satisfied. A _thump_ sound from behind her then grabs her attention. She turns to find her servant Camille, beaten and quite possibly broken, has been dumped at her feet. Cythonna's gaze turn up to find the blond mate of Kal-El standing there, red and silver scythe in hand.

"Take some advice," Buffy offers. "Get better help."

Cythonna looks back at Camille. How disappointing. All that power she gave the once upon a time slayer and she loses the fight before it even really got started. She looks back up at Buffy. "It seems you are correct. Then again I could make a similar comment to you."

"Yeah. I saw what you did to Illyria. Despite words I have heard to the contrary you're not big on mercy are you?"

"To those that are loyal my mercy can be great. It is to my enemies I show none nor should they show any to me. During the Wars of Fire and Ice none was ever shown to Rao's race just as his never showed any to mine. Kal-El made the mistake of showing mercy last time we met when he hesitated to destroy me. It was a mistake he has already paid for."

Buffy's glare intensifies. "Where is he? What have you done to him?" she demands to know.

Cythonna smirks and an evil glint comes to her normally emotionless white eyes. "You will not live long enough to see him. He, however, will live just long enough to see your broken corpse as I lay it at his feet. Then his life will end and then all the wrongs the children of Rao inflicted upon my world will finally be avenged with the death of Krypton's Last Son."

Buffy sucks up her feelings of worries about Clark and responds, "Riiiggghhhttt. Your world. That would be the one Cl...uh Kal-El's people destroyed. You can't rank very highly on the Godly scale if you couldn't prevent that. I mean what happened. You lost the war and ran away like a coward."

Cythonna's face darkens. "How dare you!" she exclaims through gritted teeth. "I was there, beside my people, fighting to the very end! You...you are an insect! You cannot imagine what the Wars were like."

"Uh huh. Right," Buffy says with deliberate nonchalance.

Cythonna feels the need to describe it. "Back when the Wars started the solar system where Krypton resided had a yellow sun like this world's and all Kryptonians had the same powers as Kal-El does. My children had similar powers. Imagine it Buffy Summers. Millions of beings like Kal-El waging an unending war that raged for centuries. The truth is that you can't imagine it for you are naught but a small mortal being. Your mind is incapable of comprehension of what a war between Gods entails."

"And your mind is incapable of comprehending fashion. What happened? You shop at Dominatrix-es 'R Us or somthing?"

Cythonna shakes her head. Such a tiny little mind. She can't understand what it is Kal-El sees in this tiny little being or how he could reject her, a Goddess, for this...fragile creature. "You waste your time trying to provoke my anger," Cythonna informs Buffy. "You will die. Whether am I angry or not it makes no difference. The outcome will be the same."

Buffy raises her scythe and twirls it a few times. "Take your best shot," Buffy dares Cythonna. "I will not end up like Illyria."

Cythonna smiles which Buffy finds really disconcerting. "You're right. **You **won't because I need your body to show Kal-El. However as for every other person in this city they will end up exactly like Illyria."

Buffy's eyes narrow wondering what Cythonna means. Then behind Cythonna the snow seems to move and rise up in a column until it is as tall as a person. The snow starts to take a humanoid shape. The snow starts to change consistency changing into a familiar appearance. "Illyria?" Buffy gasps only this Illyria has deathly white skin and white hair and even her leather outfit is white.

Illyria looks at her briefly and Buffy sees nothing. No spark of the person that Illyria used to be although person is a loose term when applying it to Illyria.

Illyria begins to convulse. She raises her hand in front of her face and Buffy watches it begin to change, transform into something looking like it is made of ice. A clawed ice hand and then it begins to spread down Illyria's arm and onto her torso. Her face transforms with jagged teeth. Her long flowing hair sticks up and fuses into what resembles a collection of icicles. By the time the transformation is complete Buffy would say Illyria looks like a twisted version of Jack Frost. She makes an inhuman screeching sound.

"You are so predictable," Cythonna boasts to Buffy. "I knew you would send Illyria to fight me. I also knew all about her before this even started. I have followers even amongst those that serve the beings called the Wolf, the Ram and the Hart. I know how she took possession of that body like an infection and I also knew that she was an echo of what she once was. An echo I could transform into an instrument of my own design. Observe."

Cythonna points at a group of onlookers. Seriously the whole city is going to hell and yet people still stand around and stare and take pictures...and is that a news crew? Well there goes the secret but back on the topic of people standing around and gawking. Buffy has to question the sanity of the human race some days.

The creature that was once Illyria lets out another inhuman screech and raises its hand at the group of onlookers. The tips of its fingers fly off like darts and hit several people, embedding in their skin, who then begin to convulse. Then like Illyria they starts to transform into more Jack Frost rip-offs.

Cythonna lets out a triumphant laugh. "Illyria took over that body like an infection and now through my power that infection will spread."

As she says it the people who were transformed fire off more of their fingers hitting more people and transforming them.

"On and on it will go," Cythonna says. "The infection will spread. Millions upon millions will join the ranks of my army including your slayers. Thank you for walking into my trap. It was most thoughtful of you," she mocks Buffy.

Buffy stands there for once in her life in muted shock as more and more people are transformed around her. Buffy's brain snaps back to the her and now. Ok time for plan B...which is exactly the same as plan A so don't ask Buffy why it is called B. It just is. Anyway it consists of hitting and slicing Cythonna until she is dead. Buffy charges at Cythonna, scythe drawn back.

She swings it.

Cythonna blocks with the sword she created. "You don't realise when you are beaten do you?" she says sounding bored.

"No and you don't realise how big that outfit makes your butt look."

"Foolish girl. I have won. You must see this. Kal-El has fallen. Illyria is now subject to my will. Soon your army of slayers will either be dead or transformed into my servants. You do not have the power to beat me," she declares with supreme arrogance.

"Says you!"

Cythonna looks down at the diminutive blond and unleashes a blast of her freeze vision freezing Buffy solid. She then draws her hand back and delivers a backhand shattering the ice and sending Buffy flying down the streets where she carves a trench out as she comes to a stop.

Cythonna laughs triumphantly once more as Buffy gets back to her feet. "It is over girl! Victory is mine and there is nothing you or anyone else can do about it. My time to rise has come! There is no-one on this planet who can stop me now!"

"Maybe not but I'll die again trying!" Buffy vows and with that charges at Cythonna once more in what she knows will be the hardest and possibly last fight of her life.

Cythonna almost admires Buffy's spirit. If it is a fight she wants then Cythonna decides to indulge her. It might even be...fun. With that thought Cythonna matches Buffy's charge with one of her own.

The two powers clash and the entire city block shakes.

The final battle for Earth has begun.

* * *

_Author's Note: Decided that having Cythonna beat the snot out of Illyria and then transform her into a virtually mindless foot soldier was a way to show how deep the hole is that Buffy and co are in. I haven't forgotten about the others and I'll get back to them later but I wanted this chapter to focus on Cythonna's plans. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; The Warrior Princess._


	76. Part 4 Chapter 30: The Warrior Princess

Chapter 30: The Warrior Princess

**5 months ago...**

In an otherwise empty arena two warriors spar with the clash of swords. One a young woman with raven hair and sky blue eyes dressed in a white tunic and sandals. The other is a girl just starting to show the first flushes of womanhood. She bears a remarkable resemblance to the older girl which is not a surprise considering they are sisters.

The older sister disarms the younger who pouts and then kicks the ground in frustration. "It's not fair!" she whines. "I'll never get the hang of this. I'll never be as good as you."

The older sister smiles softly at her younger sibling. "Donna..." she starts to say but her sister cuts her off.

"No Diana. Don't say it," Donna says petulantly.

"Don't say what exactly?" Diana asks showing patience and kindness.

"You're just going to tell me off like my other trainers do." Donna's pout gets more pronounced.

Diana, Princess of the Amazons, looks at her sister. At request of her mother, the Queen, she had been asked to train her younger sister without being told why. Diana thinks she can figure it out. Donna is showing an unwillingness to wait for her skills to develop at their own speed. She wants to be instantly as good as Diana or how good Donna thinks her sister is. No doubt her mother wanted Diana to do what others could not and make her sister see that she needs to have patience. "I am not going to tell you off," Diana assures her sister.

Donna's expression turns to one of surprise. "You're not?"

Diana shakes her head. "No."

"But...but didn't I mess up?"

"No more than I did when I was your age."

Donna couldn't believe that. "But you...I've seen you fight. You're the best of all Amazons."

"That's very kind of you to say Donna," Diana thanks her sister. "However when I was your age my technique was far from perfect. A fact to which our mother would only be too happy to confirm if you ask her. A fact Phillipus and Euboea would only be too happy to back mother up on," she says in reference to the General of the Themysciran army and the Captain of the Guard.

Diana goes and retrieves Donna's sword, a blunt training sword that is also the weapon Diana bares, and hands it back to her younger sibling. "I know this can seem frustrating at times," she says sympathetically. "But I know for certain you will master this."

"How do you know that?"

"You forget sister I was granted the wisdom of Athena. Enough wisdom to foresee that one day you will be an excellent warrior."

Her sister's words of encouragement make a smile come to Donna's face.

"Shall we begin again?" Diana asks.

Donna nods and takes a stance which is slightly wrong. "Watch me first," Diana instructs her sister and takes the correct stance. "And now copy."

Donna looks at her sister and tries to copy. Diana shifts Donna's feet to get her set correctly. She gives Donna an encouraging smile to say that's she is doing good and the two sisters then resume their training session.

When the session ends Diana can't help but smile at how innocently happy her little sister is after the praise Diana gave her. It was well earned praise and Diana did truly believe her sister would be one of the Amazons' finest warriors one day.

"Diana! Donna!"

The two sisters turn at the voice one of the few people who don't refer to them using their title as Royal Highnesses. Running towards them is a beautiful brown skinned woman, Diana's childhood friend Mala.

Mala is swiftly upon the two sisters breathing hard showing she must have run quite some distance. "Diana...Donna," she says between gasps of breath.

"Take a moment Mala," Diana advises her friend.

Mala takes that moment to catch her breath.

"Now speak sister. What is it that troubles you so to force you to come so swiftly?"

"It was the Senate meeting."

Donna giggles. "Mala. There are many Senate meetings," she points out.

"Donna," Diana gently chastises her sister knowing she interrupted Mala.

"Hera appeared during it."

Identical expressions of surprise come to Diana and Donna. Lady Hera, whilst it was not unknown for her to visit their Mother on occasion, had never appeared like that as far as Diana knew. Not in countless centuries at the very least.

"Why would Lady Hera do that?" Donna wonders with her youthful curiosity.

Mala shakes her head. "I don't know but I heard some rumours that it has something to do with Themyscira being in danger."

"Impossible," Diana declares. Themyscira, the island home of the Amazons, was protected and hidden by the Gods themselves from the outside world. It had been a gift to the Amazons after their enslavement and rape at the hands of Heracles and his men. That had been the Amazons' defining moment depicted and remembered for all time by the bracelets that adorn their wrists.

"One should never assume anything Princess."

Diana can see Mala's eyes widen at the person behind her who spoke that. The two princesses turn round to see firstly their mother and secondly Lady Hera herself. All 3 Amazons bow in reverence.

"Mala," Queen Hippolyta addresses the Amazon. "Will you please take Donna back to the palace?" she requests. "What has to be said next is for Diana's ears only."

Mala bows. "Of course your Majesty." She turns to Donna. "Come along Princess," she says in a commanding tone of voice and addressing Donna formally as she must do in front of the Queen and Lady Hera.

Donna's face shows all too clearly her unhappiness. She is in fact about to protest until she catches that 'Don't you dare' look from her mother. Donna simply gives a resigned nod although it is clear to see she is huffing about it.

As Mala and Donna depart that leaves Diana wondering what this truly is about. Hera steps forward and Diana can see the Goddess' eyes looking her over, appraising her. "You have grown much since last I saw you," Hera remarks because it had been by mortal terms a considerable number of years.

Diana blinks. She can't recall the last time she saw Hera. It must have been a long time ago when she was little.

"As much as I would like to catch up with how you have been Diana there is an urgent matter that I require you for," Hera says getting down to the business as to why she is here.

Hera raises her arms and in a flash of light Diana finds herself transported along with her mother to inside one of Themyscira's temples. Diana looks around trying to work out which one this is.

Hera meanwhile has stepped over to a wall covered in carvings depicting a story. "Tell me Diana. Are you familiar with this story?" she asks.

Diana moves over to the wall and quickly looks over the carvings. Oh yes. Now she knows which temple it is. One built to commemorate the Gods victory over a great enemy. "This is the story of Cythonna. An ice-Goddess from another realm who tried to seize this world from Zeus, yourself and the other Gods."

Hera nods and smiles wistfully as she looks over the story as it is depicted on the wall. "Hmm as usual I can see my husband has allowed great exaggerations in the telling of this to boost his ego," she comments as she can see this doesn't quite match the reality of what transpired all those centuries ago.

Diana chooses wisely not to comment on that. Out of the corner of her eye she can see her mother standing there in silence looking most unhappy and...worried?

Hera sighs. "What this story does not portray is how close we came to losing that fight. Cythonna was a power unlike any we had ever encountered. At the peak of her power she had driven us back to the gates of Olympus itself. Cythonna had recruited all those who had grievances against us. She had done what none before had and united them in their joint hatred. The battle that followed shook the heavens. When it was over we had won. Only it was not the end. The war against Cythonna lasted for years more as we slowly drove her back. In the final battle we Olympians used our combined powers to strike Cythonna down. We believed her destroyed but we had not the strength left to make sure."

From Hera's tone Diana uses all her wisdom to deduce something. "She was not destroyed."

"No," Hera confirms. "She has returned to lay claim to the Earth once more. When her powers reach their peak not even Themyscira itself will be safe from her. Not even we Olympians will be safe from her because she will seek her revenge for her defeat those many centuries ago. Cythonna shows no mercy to those that do not bow down and worship her."

Diana looks at her mother once again and can see her jaw clench with tension.

Hera continues. "Zeus...Zeus has long grown weary of the mortal world...of a world that no longer worships us and only remembers us as myths and stories told to children. He proclaimed that the Gods of Olympus would not interfere in a world that no longer worshipped us. He will not break that decree even for a threat as great as Cythonna. Therefore he has chosen you Diana, Princess of Themyscira, to act on our behalf and defeat this threat."

Her? Diana is...is...she straightens up to her full imposing height. "I am honoured Lady Hera," she says in acceptance. For her whole life Diana has been stuck on this island wondering what her godly gifts were for if she could never leave and use them. When as a baby she had been brought to life from a piece of clay her mother shaped Diana had been blessed by several Gods with gifts of strength, speed, flight, wisdom, beauty and an empathy with the Earth and all living creatures. Now finally it seems the Gods have given her existence a proper purpose and meaning at last by selecting her for this task.

Hera's lips thin. "You will not be saying that when this is over. Cythonna...fighting her will be a hardship you cannot imagine. Nor can you imagine the rigours of the training we will have to put you through to prepare you for the fight."

Diana could scarcely believe what she was hearing. Her Gods...she was going to receive training from her Gods.

"Fortunately we have time," Hera informs Diana. "From what Zeus can see of the future, which is not much, Cythonna's moment to rise is months away. You will also not be alone in this fight. The world has many heroes whom you will join in this fight. Together you have a chance of winning."

Diana looks at her mother again and now understands the look her mother has. She can guess her mother is not pleased by the idea of Diana going off and risking her life. Her mother has always been overprotective. It has caused more than the odd argument between the two of them over the years.

* * *

"I wish I was going with you," Donna says with bubbly excitement after Diana had filled her in on what had transpired with Hera.

Diana looks at her sister sitting on her bed with a rueful smile. Diana is currently packing her belongings for her training. Hera would be taking her somewhere isolated where she would not be disturbed as she is prepared for the challenge ahead. "I wish you could come as well Donna but the Gods have decreed this challenge is for me alone," she tells her sister in such a way so not as to hurt Donna's feelings in anyway.

"Well you won't be alone will you," Donna points out. "Hera said something about other heroes. I wonder what they are like. Do you think they are like the heroes in the stories?" she asks in reference to the many stories of heroes of old both sisters have been brought up on.

"I do not know," Diana admits. Hera had not gone into detail although Diana finds her curiosity burning at her to know. It will be most interesting to meet these heroes and even though Hera never said it some must be male. That will be...an experience. Diana has never met a man. She wonders if they have changed any from the men her mother and sisters talked about in not very favourable terms.

Diana soon finishes her packing and gets ready to depart. "Well then this is farewell," she says to Donna.

"I suppose so," Donna says in reply looking a bit glum. She then moves forward and embraces her taller sister. Diana returns the embrace. "Be careful," Donna says in a whisper tinged with concern for her sister.

Diana smiles, touched by her sister's concern. If the situation was reversed Diana would feel the same concern although she would show a much more stoic front as befitting of a warrior. Donna though has always wore her emotions much more in the open than Diana has.

Donna steps back and Diana watches her sisters eyes move towards the doorway. Diana did not need to be told that someone was there. Her senses are so keen she had heard even the tiny squeak of the door being opened. Diana takes a breath and puts on that stoic warrior front. She turns around. "Mother."

As Queen it has become second nature for Hippolyta to present an appearance and not show her true emotions. As far as Diana goes that is most difficult and some times near impossible and it shows as Hippolyta's face is pinched with emotion. "Diana. You are ready?"

"I am," she confirms.

Hippolyta takes a few steps towards Diana. "I...perhaps I have not said this enough but I am proud of you and of the young woman you have become."

"You did not need to say it Mother. I knew."

"In the struggle you have been chosen to participate in I have no doubt you will bring honour to yourself and all Amazons." Now that she has done the official bit Hippolyta steps forward and does the personal bit and embraces her daughter tightly if only briefly. She then holds her daughter arms by the wrist while Diana does the same. "Be safe my daughter."

"I will."

A flash of light indicates Hera's return. "It is time Diana," the Queen of the Gods announces.

Diana nods, takes a deep a breath and picks up her belongings. As she moves to stand next to Hera tears threaten to sting her eyes but Diana holds them back. Amazons do not cry nor show weakness. Then Diana and Hera vanish leaving Hippolyta and Donna alone with only their hopes, fears and prayers.

The next thing Diana is aware of is standing in some kind of surreal circular training room with weapons on walls that are not visible. They look like they are floating there amongst the clouds as if this room was suspended in the sky.

"Welcome Princess. It has been a long time."

Diana turns round to be greeted by the sight of a brunette woman standing tall dressed in long flowing robes with this air of infinite wisdom. Diana knows who this is. "Lady Athena," she says in a tone laced with all the reverence a God deserves. "You are to train me?"

"I am one of those that will train you. After all I am not only the Goddess of Wisdom I am also the Goddess of Warfare. Many tend to forget that."

Athena's robes then change into the armour of a warrior. "Time is not something we have a great deal of so I'm afraid we will have to skip the niceties and get straight to it if you are to be ready. So far in your life you have been trained to fight mortals and mystical beings. However none of those possessed power greater than your own. You have truly never been tested. Here you shall be in a way that will have you cursing every one of Us before this is over. To fight a God will require you to think in terms you have not even conceived of."

"I am ready," Diana states assuredly.

"No. You're not," Athena bluntly contradicts Diana. She then gestures at the weapons around them. "Pick your weapon Diana and we shall begin."

Diana looks at the varying weapons. Not an easy choice as she is skilled in using all of them. Her musings means she has taken her eye off Athena which she quickly realises was a mistake and as quick as Diana can blink she finds herself on the receiving end of a blow that slams her into the invisible wall of the room and she lets out a grunt of pain.

"Lesson number 1," Athena states. "Never take your eye off a God because despite your gifts we always have the advantage in terms of power and speed."

Diana's eyes narrow as her temper rises at how dishonourable that attack was.

"Lesson number 2. Not everyone shares the Amazon sense of honour," Athena states knowing what Diana is thinking. She is the Goddess of Wisdom after all. "Cythonna certainly does not. She will use any trick, any power, any weapon she can to win. Cythonna knows war and how to fight one better than perhaps even myself or my no-good brother," she says in relation to Ares, God of War.

"I will not sacrifice my teachings or my honour," Diana states forthrightly.

"I'm not telling you too. Only to realise that when you fight Cythonna honour means nothing to her."

Diana blinks. Athena said she would have to think in terms she hadn't before and now she is beginning to understand what her God meant. The Amazon sense of honour is at the core of their being. Diana had never even thought about how to fight someone who did have at least some semblance of honour. It seems she will have to learn to adapt her thinking quickly if she is going to be ready in time.

"Now that we have your first two lessons out of the way you may choose a weapon," Athena informs Diana.

Diana reaches over to her left and picks up a spear off the wall all the time not letting her gaze drift from Athena. She won't be caught out twice.

Athena smiles. "You learn quickly. Good." Athena stretches out her hands and a sword and shield flies off the wall and into her hands. "Ready?"

Diana assumes the proper stance and nods once.

* * *

"Hera," Diana groans in prayer as she all but collapses onto the bed the Gods had provided for her. She had just finished another training session and she hurt all over.

It had been...

How long has she been here now?

She wasn't sure. Time seemed to pass differently here.

Diana rolls onto her back and shuts her eyes as she tries to remember her training and block out the pain. Hard thing to do since she has never felt this much pain before. In fact due to her godly gifts Diana can barely remember any occasion where she has been in even the slightest discomfort.

However Diana did not let any of this discourage her. She had been chosen and she would fulfil the task the Gods laid out before her.

Her training had been going well in her opinion. She had been trained by quite a few of the Gods. Some Diana liked more than others. Some were simply kinder than others although all their training was hard.

Ares was the worst of all. Diana hated that expression on his face that showed how much he was enjoying making her suffer. Then there was the other expression. Diana couldn't quite put a description to it. He would just look at her in a certain way. A way that made a cold shiver run up her spine.

Diana then suddenly thinks she feels an incredibly soothing hand gently stoke her hair.

"I think I'll have to deny Ares a place in my bed for quite some time for doing this," an incredibly beautiful soft voice says.

Diana cracks an eye open to find the most flawless woman imaginable sitting next to the bed in a diaphanous gown that barely contains or conceals the ample curves of the woman's body. In fact the gown seems to highlight those curves to their maximum. Golden locks tumbled down in curls to her shoulder as emerald eyes gaze at Diana with concern. Perfect rosy lips smile gently at her. "Aphrodite?" Diana queries, fairly certain but not sure it is the Goddess of Love she now gazes upon.

Aphrodite is many things. Vain and arrogant and superficial would be most common descriptions but Diana is a being she blessed and Aphrodite always takes that seriously. Besides she has popped in occasionally over the years to check up on Diana always pleased to see how her gift of beauty has transformed Diana into the vision of the young woman she is now. If Diana was out on the world she would have men eating out of the palm of her hand. "Hello Diana," Aphrodite says, her voice almost angelic in its quality.

Diana tries to sit up but Aphrodite stops her by placing a hand to Diana's shoulder. "Now don't get up. You need to rest."

Diana lies back. "What brings you here?"

"Your training is over. Time is up. I'm here to make sure you get a proper rest before you go and fight Cythonna."

"How long has it been?" Diana wonders.

"Back on Earth, nearly 5 months."

"And Cythonna?"

"She is about to make her move which is why you must rest. You will need all your strength." Aphrodite raises her hand to Diana's forehead and places it there. Her hand glows slightly. "Sleep," she commands.

Diana nods and closes her eyes. She quickly falls asleep.

Upon awakening Diana finds Aphrodite has conjured up a bath with water mixed with special herbs which in a short time soothes and relaxes Diana's body until she feels remarkably refreshed.

"Enjoying yourself?" Aphrodite says with obvious amusement at the soft spoken moans Diana has been uttering as the water makes her body feel good.

Diana nods, unashamed by her nakedness. Amazons had no shame of their bodies. In fact on Themyscira Diana had servants who would help her bathe.

"Just wait until after all this is over and you finally can get yourself a man. Then I can guarantee you will most certainly enjoy yourself," Aphrodite teases.

Diana sinks into the water a little bit unsure how to react to that. The idea oddly does not completely hold no interest for her. If only out of a banal curiosity she finds herself thinking about it.

"Must you sister," a reprimanding voice chastises Aphrodite. Athena has appeared.

"Oh come now Athena just because you vowed eternal chastity doesn't mean Diana has to. You don't know what you are missing. Besides I've seen those male heroes who will be Diana's allies and I certainly wouldn't say no."

Athena rolls her eyes. "Please," she says scornfully. "You never say no to any man as long as he is handsome. Beside every God in Olympus knows there is only one you really want. Every God knows how you spend hours lusting from afar after the Kryptonian."

Aphrodite smiles with a lustful fire in her eyes. "Well he is scrumptious you must admit."

"I must admit nothing."

During this Diana remains silent. It is well known not to get involved in the disputes of the 3 sisters; Aphrodite, Athena and Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt.

Once her bath is over Diana heads back to her room. Upon entering she finds items placed on her bed. A red breastplate adorned with a golden eagle, star-spangled shorts, red and white boots, a gold tiara with a red star on it, a golden belt and finally a golden lasso.

Diana has to look twice. These items...she knows these items. There were kept in the temple of Hera and were to only be worn by the Champion of the Amazons determined in a tournament. Due to Themyscira's isolation and Godly protection no such tournament had had to be held centuries. If you are safe from any outside threat you don't need a champion to lead you into battle.

"Gifts from your mother."

Diana turns to see Hera has joined her. "But...but I can't wear these. I'm not the Champion," Diana professes.

Hera smiles softly. "Under the circumstances your mother and I agreed we could bend the rules a little. Although one day you shall have to return to Themyscira and prove yourself worthy to be Champion. I shall leave you to change," she says before vanishing.

It takes Diana only a short time to change. Once done she looks at herself in the mirror trying to cope with her feelings. It is the greatest of honours to wear this armour.

"I have one more gift," Hera says announcing her return.

Diana once more turns round to find Hera holding a sword. A very familiar sword. "Is that...?"

Hera nods. "The sword Hephaestus made for your mother," she confirms. Hera then places the sharpened edge in her palm and draws the sword along it.

Diana virtually gasps at the sight of tiny drops of red blood falling to the floor. It is a shock to see a God bleed.

"Even Gods can bleed Diana," Hera says which was the point of her demonstration. "Even Gods can die," Hera continues to say. "This sword has the power within its blade to slay Cythonna."

Hera holds the hilt out in Diana's direction. Diana clasps it in her hand and takes the sword.

"Now Diana, Princess of Themyscira. You have been chosen by Us to wage a war against a ruthless enemy and bring the world back from the precipice of darkness. This is a task we know you will complete. As you have faith in us we have faith in you."

Diana stands straight and proud. "I thank you for this honour Lady Hera. I shall not fail," she proclaims.

"Hermes!" Hera summons.

Hermes, the winged messenger appears and bows. "You called my Lady."

"You will guide Diana to where she needs to go," Hera commands.

"Of course but there must be a detour first."

Hera looks at him puzzled.

Hermes explains. "Cythonna has defeated the Kryptonian but left him alive. Zeus commands he is rescued due to his importance."

Hera nods in understanding.

Diana stands there confused. "Who...What is a Kryptonian?" she queries now having heard that word for the second time.

"The key to the future. A light in the darkness," Hera replies cryptically.

Diana looks even more confused.

"You'll see for yourself soon enough," Hera informs Diana. She turns to Hermes. "Go with all due haste," she commands.

Hermes bows once more. He strides next to Diana and touches her shoulder before the two vanish from this place.

Hera is a Goddess. She is the Queen of the Gods and therefore not prone to prayer. After all there is no higher power for her to pray to but on this occasion she must utter a silent one. Zeus' refusal to allow direct interference means if Cythonna succeeds in taking Earth it will only be a matter of time before she comes for the Olympians to enact her revenge. That would be a battle Hera is not sure the Olympians have the power any longer to win. A God's power is enhanced and strengthened by the strength of the faith of those that worship them. Few worship the Olympians anymore. If Cythonna succeeds an entire world with billions of people will worship her making her powers perhaps greater than all the Olympians combined so Hera will pray that Diana and the others will prevail.

Hera has done all she can...all her husband has allowed to be done. It is up to the whims of fate now. The Gods have played their hand and the Warrior Princess of prophecy is now in play.

* * *

_Author's Note: When I was going to bring Diana in I knew that I wanted to take an aside of a sort and tell how it would come about that Diana would find out her task. That done we will get back to the fight in the next chapter as well as Diana flying to Clark's rescue. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; The Battle Joined._


	77. Part 4 Chapter 31: The Battle Joined

Chapter 31: The Battle Joined

Back in Metropolis the heroes find themselves up against it as they are outnumbered by the demons that comprise Cythonna's army.

"How in the blazes did she manage to get so many?" a slayer asks as in how did Cythonna get so many to join her.

"Was that question aimed at me?" Xander asks as he slams his axe into a demon's head.

"I'm venting!" the slayer yells in reply.

Xander looks at Faith confused. She shrugs. "It's a girl thing especially at certain times of the month," she explains

"You know that is the kind of thing I don't need to know Faith," Xander tells her, making a face as he does so. He has no wish to know about the reproductive cycles of slayers.

Faith ducks under a blow a demon tried to inflict on her from behind. She never even had to look to know it was coming. Her instincts are just that honed. "Jesus. What is it with guys that you go all fruity over that?"

"Is this really the time for this Faith? In case you missed it the world is ending."

Faith shoves her sword through the demon that tried to chop her head off and it drops to the ground dead. "No shit Xan. Really? I thought we were out having a picnic," she says with complete and total sarcasm.

Xander opens his mouth to shoot off a retort when he suddenly charges forward and knocks Faith down to the ground.

"What the..." Faith starts to say but stops when she spots several white ice-like darts fly over her. Xander just saved her. The two of them look in the direction the darts were heading and see them strike a couple of the girls who start to convulse and before their eyes transform into twisted Jack Frosts.

They let out inhuman screeches.

Xander sums this up nicely. "Crap!"

* * *

In a different part of the city the demons find themselves assaulted by the high powered sonic cry of the Black Canary. While they are disorientated by that a series of explosive arrows impact off of them. Then 3 or 4 slayers follow up and finish the job of putting the demons down for good.

"They are really really...good," Oliver has to admit as he watches the slayers fight with a skill and ferocity you can't help but admire.

"I hope you are complimenting their fighting skills Arrow," Dinah says sternly. She does love Ollie but is aware of his wandering eye. Well as long as all he does is look she'll put up with it.

Oliver grins at her. That grin that melts the hearts of women everywhere. "Trust me Canary."

Dinah only wishes she could automatically say that she does. Oh in battle she does without question but as for heart Ollie still has some work to do to prove he has moved past that playboy phase.

Impulse then appears in his usual gold and red flash. "Problem!" he says sounding very agitated.

"Just the one?" Ollie quips.

As in response to that the sound of dozens of inhuman screeches bursts into the scene and then round the corner dozens of transformed humans come marching into view.

"What the fuck?" one of the slayers remarks at this sight.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Bart says.

"I really don't want to know do I?" Oliver asks rhetorically. "Alright hit me with it. What are they?"

"Well..." Bart begins to say just as the creatures raise their hands at the assembled heroes. He knows what happens next as it was what he was about to warn Oliver about. "Duck!" he yells.

The heroes manage to avoid the darts. Nearby civilians don't and Oliver and Dinah get a first hand look at what Bart was about to tell them as the people are transformed.

The transformed now move in on the heroes from two separate direction.

"Back to back," Oliver orders as he, Dinah, Bart and the slayers form a circle back to back with each other.

They all get ready to either dodge or fight.

Then two things happen simultaneously. Missiles from above strike the ground just in front of one group of the transformed creatures who promptly fall into the hole created. Second a blue sonic wave hits the other group knocking them all flat.

Above a black jet shaped like a bat roars overhead.

Their other helper celebrates in his usual fashion. "Booyah!" Cyborg says as his right hand changes back from the sonic cannon he had added to it back into what looks like a normal flesh and blood hand.

The jet circles back and hovers directly overhead before a black figure with his long dark cape swirling around him glides down to the ground.

Oliver pretends to look at his watch. "Cutting it close there Batman," he says a little critically.

For his effort Oliver gets the infamous Batman glare.

Dinah turns to Cyborg. "Where's your group?" she asks in relation to the group of slayers he was with.

Victor's face falls. "Transformed," he says simply. "Luckily for me I guess one of the darts hit my mechanical arm. It can't seem to transform inorganic matter."

"Must be biological. A DNA altering retro-virus perhaps," Batman deduces from that.

"How in the world has Cythonna done this?" Dinah asks making the assumption it is the ice-Goddess.

"Not only is she a God she comes from what was once an advanced alien civilisation. For her this is probably child's play. For any hope of countering it I'll need to get a sample."

Bart looks at Batman like he is nuts. "No problem there Bats. You want us to cure world hunger while we're at it?"

"Impulse," Oliver says sternly. This is not the time for Bart's usual attitude. "It's time to change strategy," Oliver realises. "Protecting people is what we do but this is Cythonna's doing. She needs to be stopped if we are going to save anyone. We have to hit her with everything we got before we all end up transformed into whatever those things are. Any objections?" he asks of the others who all shake their heads.

Oliver places his finger to his ear and activates the communicator. "This is Green Arrow to anyone who can hear me. Break off and converge on the Daily Planet. We're going to initiate a direct assault on the primary target." Oliver just hopes there is anyone left to hear that. "Batman what..."

Oliver trails off when he finds Batman gone and the batjet flying off without them.

"Well he sure knows how to work as a team doesn't he," Dinah drawls sarcastically.

Oliver shakes his head and mutters unpleasant things about Bruce under his breath. "Come on guys. We're moving out."

The small group start to head in the direction of the Planet, inhuman screeches and people screaming assault them from every direction leaving the very real question if they can even get there and if they can can they get there in time.

* * *

Diana finds herself staring in wonder at the landscape she is flying over. She has never been anywhere like the northern polar region. The land covered in snow and ice and in its own way as beautiful as anything she has ever seen. She was amazed to actually see animals, like some kind of white bears. When she has more time she will have to come back so she can explore in more detail.

"We are here," Hermes announces.

Diana comes to a halt, hovering in mid-air and peers into some thick mist when she spots the huge structure, made of what looked like interlocking columns of ice. "Gaea," she gasps. "Is this where this...Kryptonian lives?" she asks Hermes.

"In a way. It is where you will find him. This is also as far as I can take you without breaking the rules. The Kryptonian will take you the rest of the way."

"I thank you Lord Hermes," Diana says gratefully.

"Thanks are not necessary Diana. I am your patron. I blessed you with my speed and my flight. I am honour bound to help you fulfil your destiny."

With that Hermes vanishes and Diana flies down to the structure and around it looking for a way inside. Eventually she spots an entrance and flies in.

She lands inside and looks around caught by the unusual landscape. Columns of ice and platforms at strange angles. The whole place is filled with red light seemingly coming from everywhere. "Hello!" she calls out.

"Help...me," a croaky voice says barely above a whisper but Diana hears it. The language sounds like this English she was taught when growing up. Diana was taught all the current spoken languages of the Outside World. She heads in the direction the voice came from and soon makes her way through the almost forest like sea of columns when she spots...him dressed in some kind of black clothing.

The Kryptonian is a man. Diana moves closer to him and can see he has been pinned through the shoulders and left hanging. There is blood but not too much. Whoever had done this had been careful to leave him alive.

Diana carefully places a finger under his chin and lifts his drooping head. He is...handsome she thinks is the word. Diana has nothing to compare it too really but he compares favourably with the statues of heroes back on Themyscira. His eyes flutter open and Diana finds her breath catch as she locks gazes with these beautiful eyes of blue. They look at her and study her carefully.

"Are you an Angel?" he asks in a weak voice.

Angel? Diana thinks. Angel...Angel. She knows that term. Oh yes from her studies of the outside world and its religions. Angels are servants of the One God ascribed to be perfect beings of beauty. "I...no. I am Diana. I am an Amazon."

She can see his gaze mist over as he struggles to remain conscious. How on earth can he help her in this state?

"Help me," he pleads.

Diana looks at the crystal like spikes holding him. "This will hurt," she prepares him for the pain.

He nods.

Diana grabs one and pulls it out. He lets out a cry of pain. Diana does the same to the other and he drops to his knees. He would have fallen over completely had Diana not caught him.

He points at something. "Over...there."

Diana thinks he means he needs to go over there. She helps him to his feet and they make their way over to some kind of collection of crystals. Diana watches as he pulls one up and rotates it. A...parchment of light appears in mid-air across which strange symbols are present.

The man then touches the parchment and begins to move the symbols about and alter them. A few minutes later the screen vanishes, the red light disappears too and the entire structure plunges into darkness.

Before Diana can ask what is going on light fills the structure once more including one concentrated beam of yellow sunlight striking the man directly.

Diana then catches a glimpse of his wounds which are closing up before her eyes leaving her in complete bafflement. What kind of man is he?

She then feels him straighten up under his own power and for a brief moment Diana can feel that he possesses immense near limitless strength. He takes a few steps away and seems to test his movements before turning to face her.

"Thank you for rescuing me," Clark says feeling a lot better. "I suppose I should introduce myself. I am Kal-El of Krypton...and you are Diana of the Amazons correct?"

"Yes."

"Amazons as in the mythical race of warrior women?"

"We are not mythical," Diana corrects him. "We are merely hidden away from the rest of the world."

"I see," Clark remarks. He is kind of glad she is not bringing up that Angel comment he made although when he first laid eyes on the flawless beauty, with the long curly raven hair and sky blue eyes it was the first though that came into his head. "Now what are you doing in my Fortress of Solitude?" he asks her.

"I was sent here to rescue you."

"By?"

"My Gods."

"I...have a feeling our stories would take time we don't have so I'm going to take that on face value for the moment. Now please tell me why are you here Diana of the Amazons?"

"My Gods are sworn enemies of Cythonna and they sent me here to battle her on their behalf."

"You're here to stop Cythonna?"

"I am."

Clark rubs his left shoulder where he was impaled. "She was the one who attacked me."

"You are her enemy?"

"She is my people's blood enemy. Something she refuses to leave in the past. She only left me alive because she wants me to suffer before I die but as I said we don't really have the time to discuss that in detail."

Which is a shame Diana thinks to herself. When this is over though she feels like she would like to talk to this man and hear the whole story.

Clark looks at the tall statuesque Amazon and has a hundred questions run through his mind. None of which he has time to ask. Cythonna is doing who knows what by now. However he needs to clarify one thing. "Permit me one more question," he requests of her.

Diana blinks. She had heard many stories about men but in none of them were they ever this polite. "I...yes. Ask your question."

"Back home are you by any chance royalty?"

Diana is surprised that he could tell that. They have only just met. "Yes. I am the Princess to the Amazons."

A princess to a race of warrior women or a Warrior Princess just like Lorne told Clark he would meet one day. "Thank you," he says. "Now we should turn our attention to the matter at hand."

The warrior in Diana kicks in. "Indeed. Do you know where we can find Cythonna?"

"Give me a minute and I will," Clark says as he turns to the crystals and activates the holographic interface. Before when he did that what he was doing was purging the virus Cythonna essentially infected the Fortress with. He shut it down, erased all data and reloaded the operating system, Jor-El included, from a protected back-up he made. After that the Fortress rebooted automatically, sensed his injuries and allowed sunlight in to heal him.

Clark scans the news media. It doesn't take long to find Cythonna. "Metropolis," he mutters. That's no coincidence. This is about hurting him.

"Metropolis?" Diana inquires.

"A city on the North American continent," he explains unsure if she understands where that is.

"You can show me where this is?"

"Of course. Just let me get one thing before we go."

Diana watches in astonishment as he blurs away faster than she can move and then returns a few seconds later with some kind of bag.

"You...how did you move so fast?"

"I can do many things and when the world is not in immediate danger I will be happy to sit down with you and tell you anything you wish to know." He slings the bag over his shoulder. "Shall we go?"

Diana has so many questions but Kal-El is correct. Time is of the essence. She floats up to leave and then stops remembering she will need to take him with her if she is not to get lost. Then to add to her astonishment he floats up off the ground next to her. "You fly too?"

Clark nods with his slightly goofy disarming smile. "So...follow me," he says and he slowly rises upward with Diana following on behind.

* * *

"Invasion of the Body Snatchers!"

Oliver looks at Bart like he has a second head at that pronouncement. "What?"

"I'm trying to think what movie this remind me of," Bart explains.

The small group were still trying to make their way to the Planet. Dishearteningly they had not come across any others or gotten a response on their communicators but they had not given into the fear just yet that they were the only ones left.

"Bart be serious," Dinah chastises him. "Besides Invasion of the Body Snatchers had people replaced with identical alien doubles not transformed into...um...whatever those things are."

"Good point," Bart says in agreement.

Dinah finds herself stared at by 3 slayers, Oliver and Victor. "What?" she asks. "I was ill with the flu and it just happened to be on tv," she explains how she knows that.

The sounds of fighting up ahead grab the group's attention and they speed up to find Xander and Faith now alone against dozens of transformed people. They move in and swiftly manage to incapacitate the attackers trying to not hurt them in the process on the assumption that somehow they will be able to reverse this.

"Thanks," Xander says, his hands on his knees hunched over breathing hard.

"The slayers you were with?" Oliver inquiries.

Xander's reply is a simple shake of his head. They were gone, transformed.

A swirl of coloured lights manifests next to them and teleporting in are Willow, Lois, Chloe and a stunned, wide-eyed Jimmy trying to come to terms with everything he has seen and the fact Lois kissed him.

"So...your day going as badly as ours?" Chloe queries trying to be humorous.

Oliver laughs in spite of himself. "Pretty much," he admits. "How did you find us?"

Chloe point at her girlfriend. "Will was worried about Xander," she explains.

"So Red," Faith says to get Willow's attention overlooking the fact no-one seems to be worried about her for the moment. "Just what in name of blue-hell is going on?"

"You want my guess; Cythonna. It's some kind of magical infection," Willow explains what she has been able to sense.

Oliver turns to Xander and Faith. "You heard from any of the others?"

Both shake their heads.

Oliver fishes his communicator out of his ear and looks at it. "I don't think they're damaged but they aren't working either. I can't get anyone." He throws it to Cyborg. "Is there anything you can do?"

Vic looks at the device with his artificial eye. "You're right. It is not damaged. Must be being jammed. I could try cycling through the frequencies."

"There's no time for that," Dinah points out.

"Canary's right," Oliver decides. "We proceed with the plan. Find Cythonna. Take her down any way we can."

"That's going to be a problem," Lois pipes up as then point in all 4 direction of the junction they stand in as the transformed move in and surround them.

On the plus side running ahead of the transformed are Cordelia, Angel, Aquaman, Dawn and Connor and a good couple dozen slayers who saw retreat as the best option. They soon reach the others.

"Hey S," Faith greets Satsu, her once upon a time lover.

The Asian girl looks up at Faith. "Faith."

"Having a fun time?" Faith queries trying to be flippant.

Satsu arches an eyebrow. "Oh I've having a grand time. Thanks for asking," she somewhat mutters sarcastically.

"So is this our last stand?" Bart asks as the transformed close in.

Oliver has to say unfortunately that is what it looks like.

"I really, really hope not!" Zatanna says as she appears in a flash of light with a couple of slayers she managed to save before they were overwhelmed by the army of the transformed.

"One should never give up hope," a disembodied voice says just a moment before a dark-skinned man phases up through the street.

"J'onn," Oliver greets him.

"Green Arrow," J'onn greets him back.

"I really really want to make some cranky comment about you being late but I'm not sure we have the time for it."

"I'm sure you'll find the time anyway," a new voice from above snarkily remarks.

All look up to see Clark floating down but he is not alone. He is with perhaps the most beautiful woman any of them has ever seen.

"Where have you been all my life?" Bart asks dreamily as Diana gently lands on the ground.

"Themyscira," Diana answers, baffled by the dreamy quality to this young man's tone of voice.

"Huh?" each and everyone there says as the same time.

"I need to do some introductions," Clark realises. "Everyone this is Diana, Princess of the Amazons, who as far as Diana has told me live on a magically hidden island called Themyscira. Diana these are most of my friends that I mentioned on the way here." Clark briefly introduces them all by codename and name, very briefly because right now they need to turn their attention to the army of creatures closing in.

"Oh quick mention. These are people Cythonna transformed so try and not kill any of them," Oliver informs the newly arrived.

"And don't let them shoot their fingers at ya either!" Faith adds.

Clark looks to Oliver for an explanation which he gives briefly about the fingers acting like darts and spreading the infection. This...this is worse than Clark thought and he thought pretty bad stuff while being pinned up at the Fortress. Good thing he spotted Oliver as he and Diana flew over the city. Right first help his friends survive this and then go and defeat Cythonna.

Good plan...in theory.

Clark just hopes it tuns out good in practice as he and the others engage the transformed in battle.

* * *

Sword clashes against scythe as Buffy and Cythonna continue their fight that has raged up and down and across several block which have been left worse for wear for the effort.

Buffy blocks a blow and uses the scythe to deflect it off to the side leaving Cythonna open to a jab to the gut with the pointed end of the scythe. Buffy twirls it around in a second and brings a blow down from on high which Cythonna blocks.

"I congratulate you," Cythonna says being slightly condescending. "I never expected you to last this long."

"Yay me. I'll be sure to add that to my resume."

Cythonna pushes Buffy back and attacks forcing Buffy on the defensive. Cythonna forces an opening and deliver a punch to Buffy's face spinning the slayer round. Cythonna bring a blow down from above but Buffy gets the scythe up above her head to block, pushes Cythonna off, spins round and delivers a kick to the Goddess' midsection.

Buffy charges in only to met by a blast of white energy sending her flying several dozen meters down the street where she slams into a street lamp which breaks easily against Buffy's toughened body.

Cythonna does not immediately follow up which Buffy is grateful for since she has been going at this full tilt for longer than she really thinks her body is capable of doing judging by the tiredness and soreness of her muscles. Fatigue is setting in.

Buffy walks back into the middle of the street and eyes Cythonna waiting down the way.

Cythonna smiles. "It is a pity we have to be enemies!" she shouts. "You would make a fine servant! I would even be willing to spare you if you surrender now and bow down before me!"

"Like I told Camille I'm really not into that Dominatrix stuff but I'm not judging whatever floats your boat!" Buffy shouts back.

"Then die!"

Cythonna fires off her freeze vision but Buffy raises her scythe and the beams bounce off and as Buffy aimed and meant it to, or at least is the story she will be telling everyone later, they harmlessly go off into the air.

Buffy takes a deep breath, summons up her remaining energy and zips forward on the attack. Cythonna throws balls of white energy at her which she deflects using the scythe, thank the strange women who made it for the foresight to give it the power to deflect magic.

Buffy goes into the attack, Cythonna blocks with her sword but at least Buffy has the Goddess on the defensive as she tries to press home the advantage while she has it. She swings the scythe, Cythonna dodges only not quite as the scythe's blade clips an arm.

Cythonna cries out in pain and in response sends out a pulse of energy in all directions knocking Buffy back head over heel before she gets back to her feet.

Buffy watches satisfied as a small trickle of ice blue blood flows from the wound on Cythonna's arm for the few moments until the wound heals up. "So not fair doing a Wolverine on me!" Buffy complains.

Cythonna's eyes narrow dangerously. "Enough!" she declares, this little fight now having lost its amusement factor for her.

"Yeah definitely enough cakes for you. I mean you are seriously bulging out in the middle there."

"I grow weary of your insolence."

"You are seriously going to say that? Man what kind of vocabulary did they have on that planet you come from? Did you only watch Jeopardy or something? Yeah I'll take clichéd villain sayings for 100 Alex," Buffy quips.

"You are a competent fighter Buffy Summers but it is time to die," Cythonna declares.

"Whoa!" Buffy says holding a hand up. "Wait one second. Do you hear that?"

"That tactic will not save you."

"No seriously. I hear something. Like a whistling sound. Like you know someone fired missiles right at you!" she yells pointing at the sky above and behind Cythonna's head.

Cythonna turns round and Buffy dives for cover just as two missiles score a direct hit on Cythonna.

Buffy rolls onto her back to see a black jet in the shape of a bat flying towards. "Now where does he get all those wonderful toys?" she wonders out-loud.

"Insolent wretch!" a voice screams out of the dust and fire and as it clears slightly Cythonna stands, slightly smudged but otherwise unharmed. Her glare turns to the Batjet. "Feel the wrath of your God mortal!"

'Can she get anymore clichéd?" Buffy thinks to herself.

Cythonna raises her sword and from it comes a beam of white energy. The jet weaves in an attempt to dodge but she manages to clip the wing and engine and the jet starts to crash.

Buffy gets to her feet. "As if I don't have enough to do," she mutters in complaint as she zips off after the jet.

* * *

Back with the group of heroes back in another part of Metropolis they have just managed to fell a small army without losing any more of their own.

"We rock!" Bart pronounces as he slides to a stop from superspeed.

"We what?" Diana asks unfamiliar with the slang.

Clark translates for her. "He means we fought well and were victorious."

That clears it up her her. "Oh yes. In that case we do indeed...'rock'."

The way her accent twists around the word makes Clark chuckle lightly making her frown at him. He was an odd man. Not like what Diana expected at all men to be like.

Just then one of the transformed not quite unconscious fires off its dart like fingers. Faith notices them heading straight at Xander so does what any woman in love does and pushes Xander out of the way and the darts hit her instead.

"Faith!" Xander screams in panic as he runs over to her cradling her head.

Faith starts to convulse as the transformation begins. "G-get out of here. Now!" she orders.

"No," Xander refuses. He...god how can this being happening again. How can he lose someone else he loves. Is he cursed or something?

Other gather round in preparation. Once Faith is transformed they will have to knock her out. Clark meanwhile is looking at her in a way no-one else can. "It's the snow."

"What?" half of them ask at the same time.

"I can see the infection," he explains using his remarkable vision. "It's feeding off the snow, ice and probably can't stand heat which is why it is so cold." He looks at the others. "Cythonna is responsible for the inclement weather yes?" he assumes.

"That's our guess," Willow confirms.

"She must have planned this which is why she made it snow."

"So what happens if we heat it up?" Dawn is the one to ask.

"Xander stand back," Clark requests.

Xander looks at Clark pain in his eyes. "Please," Clark adds. "Trust me."

Xander reluctantly moves back from Faith who is now over half-transformed and Clark unleashes his heat vision on her form as hot as he dare on a human being. Before their eyes the transformation slows, stops and then reverses until Faith is her normal self.

Xander rushes over to her and gathers her into his arms.

"Xan you're embarrassing both of us," Faith says sounding a tad whiny. He laughs as he helps her to her feet. "That was effin unpleasant," she remarks. She won't reveal her true feelings about how shit scared she was that she would become a monster.

"So how do we do that to the whole city?" Cordy asks.

Clark looks up at the dark clouds. "Well if it wasn't for the clouds it would be a typical roasting hot summers day in Metropolis so lets get rid of them."

"You can do that?" Lois of all people asks in some surprise. She knows about what Clark is but it seems she still has some way to go to being able to fully comprehend what it is he can do.

Clark gives her a smile and a nod. "Yep." He notices Jimmy standing and looking in stunned silence at everything he has seen today. "Is he alright?"

Lois gives Jimmy a brief look over. "He'll be fine. May need Chlo's love partner to do a selective mind wipe though."

Clark sighs. He hates having to do that to people. Perhaps it won't be necessary depending on how Jimmy takes it and if he can be trusted to keep it secret. "We'll decide on that later."

"So you have a plan?" Oliver asks.

"Yes. You need to distract Cythonna while I deal with the clouds. She created them and she must be maintaining them. I'll need her focus elsewhere."

Diana steps forward. "That is a sound plan but can you really do what you propose?" she queries because it seems impossible. How can anyone but a God control the weather.

"As a Kryptonian Kal-El can do almost anything," J'onn puts forward.

"Thanks J'onn. Don't put too much pressure on me or anything," Clark dead-pans,

"You are welcome Kal-El," J'onn says in his usual stoic fashion but Clark can just tell that on the inside J'onn is laughing his head off.

Clark grabs his bag from where he put in when fighting. He points in a certain direction. "Cythonna is that way," he informs them while he prays Buffy is holding up alright. He'll get to her and save her but he has several million people to save first. He bends his knees slightly and shoots upward at immense speed.

Oliver claps his hands together. "Right lets get..." he trails off as he finds Diana has already taken off in the direction Clark pointed.

"Wow. I guess they don't teach Amazons about team-work," Cordy remarks in her usual less than deft sarcasm.

Great. Oliver has impetuous Warrior Princesses to add to his already substantive headaches that Bart alone is responsible for a lot of. Although for once Bart is still here doing what he is told. So finally someone more impetuous than Bart. Oliver must be in the Twilight Zone or something.

* * *

Buffy zips after the crashing jet and spots its passenger ejecting. She leaps up, bounces off the wall of one building, upward and off the wall of the one opposite and up onto a roof. She takes a run and leaps into the air catching Batman in mid-air.

She manages in her opinion not a bad landing considering although she kinda wishes she could fly. That would be so handy.

Batman extracts himself from Buffy's arms and straightens out his cape. "I didn't ask for your help," he says bluntly in his deep gruff voice.

Buffy rolls her eyes. God this lonely hero crap again. She needs that like she needs a whole in the head.

She raises a finger and jabs him in the chest hard. "Listen to me you ungrateful..."

Buffy's rant is cut off by a enormous blast of energy hitting her. She screams in pain, before collapsing to one knee, her body literally smoking and her hand on the ground trying to stop herself falling over and falling unconscious as she is in real danger of doing.

Floating above Cythonna's patience has reached its end.

Batman moves between Buffy and the Goddess.

"Foolish mortal. You think you can stop me," she says with utter contempt and distain.

In fact Batman knows he cannot but one thing he always believes in is saving people. He deftly reaches under his cape and pulls out a series of exploding batarangs. He throws them at Cythonna who flicks each and every one aside.

Cythonna chuckles darkly. "I have had enough of this! No more games!"

She flies down, sword drawn back ready to strike a fatal blow but inches before it hits Batman the blow is blocked by a steel blade.

Cythonna's eyes glow with building rage. She is starting to get irritated. "Who da..."

Cythonna does not finish that proclamation before a punch of enormous power hits her in the face sending Cythonna smashing into a nearby building.

Batman's eyes narrow as his gaze falls upon a raven haired woman in red, gold, white and blue. Her attention falls only on Cythonna and Batman can see from her stance, the very way she holds herself this is a skilled warrior he is dealing with.

Cythonna strides forward out of the building and glares at the woman. "You have made your first and last mistake," Cythonna proclaims.

Diana raises her sword ready to do battle. "Your reign ends here Cythonna," she proclaims. "I am Diana, Princess of the Amazons, Chosen by the Gods of Olympus to defeat you."

Cythonna laughs. "You!" she says in total disbelief. "The great Gods sitting on high on Olympus. Those whose wrath once made the earth shake and all they can send me is a thin slip of a girl," she mocks both the Olympians and Diana herself.

Diana's eyes narrow and her temper rises which for anyone who knows Diana is not a hard thing to manage to do. Many of her teachers pointed out that she loses her temper too quickly.

"Look around you girl," Cythonna gestures at the destruction, at Buffy still trying to recover, at the transformed people who now wander every street. "I have defeated every foe sent against me and barely received more than a scratch. This city will fall. This world will fall. Who do you think you are that you can succeed where all others failed."

"I am Diana," Diana replies simply.

Cythonna is definitely getting annoyed and irritated. "Very well if I must continue to prove my omnipotence so be it. Come and give me your best shot...Diana."

Diana charges in as Batman watches. As the fight begins he can see this Diana has skill certainly but from her little speech she also has a slight arrogance and short temper. She hid it well but her body shifted slightly as Cythonna mocked. Arrogance and anger are a weakness. Batman always kept his emotions under control. He kept in perfect focus at all times.

CLANG!

Batman spins on the spot to find an albino girl with white hair has hit Buffy with a manhole cover knocking the blond haired girl down flat.

"Payback's a bitch...bitch!" Camille declares taking advantage of Buffy's weakened state. After Camille had come around from her beating her one and only thought was getting payback.

She raises the manhole cover again but Batman moves in, delivers punches and kicks that have Camille for all her power reeling before she knows what hit her. She cries out in rage and tries to slam her fists down on her opponent.

Batman dodges easily but notes when Camille's fist hit the road it cracks under the force.

"I don't know who you are but now you're dead," Camille announces with pure venom and spite.

She advances on Batman rapidly but he throws gas pellets in her face. As Camille coughs Batman slips on electrified knuckledusters and proceeds to lay numerous punches on Camille.

As the fight progresses Batman can see while the girl is more powerful than he her skills are not in the same league.

"Arh!" Camille screams in frustration as she finds herself unable to land even a single blow on the man dressed like a flying rodent.

Another person with a temper tantrum issue is all Batman mentally notes at that. It is simply another weakness he adds to his analysis of his opponent. He ducks under a blow, delivers a uppercut that spins Camille round right into an frankly pissed off Buffy who hits proceeds to hit Camille with the manhole cover until she once more shatters it on Camille's face.

Camille collapses to the ground unconscious.

"And this time learn the lesson and stay down!" Buffy tells Camille.

"She is unconscious. She cannot hear you," Batman points out.

Buffy rubs her sore head and glares at him. "Give me a break. I've been fighting a God for the last hour," she says sounding rather cranky. She then takes a few rather wobbly steps forward and Batman is forced to catch her.

"You need rest," he tells her.

Buffy shakes her head and waves him off. "No. I need to do what I was chosen to do since I was 15. I need to slay the monsters. Now where is she?"

Batman has to grudgingly admire her spirit if not her sense. He points up where Cythonna's battle with Diana has now progressed to up in the sky.

Buffy looks at the two tiny and moving so fast nothing but blurry figures engaged in an intense fight. "I really need to learn how to fly," she comments with envy.

* * *

High above Diana's fight with Cythonna up in the vacuum of space Clark hovers above Metropolis absorbing the sun's rays, listening to the battle below. He needs to time this when Cythonna is fully engaged in her fight with Diana.

He pushes his worries over Buffy away. Her grouchily almost biting Batman's head off showed that she was mostly alright.

Right this seems the time to act. First thing he does is to do what he had been planning to do for a couple of weeks anyway before Cythonna ambushed him. He discards his black costume and vaporises it. He opens his bag, reaches for the clothes inside and is changed in a flash of red and blue. He then dives straight down into the atmosphere. The friction quickly forms a fireball around his body as he plunges lower. As he nears the top of the clouds above Metropolis he unleashes his superbreath which becomes superheated due to the fireball around his body. The clouds retreat and lift before vanishing completely.

Down below the sudden shining of the sun is the first Cythonna thing notices due to how much focus fighting the Chosen of the Olympians was taking. The girl had skills and power and was pushing Cythonna harder than she ever imagined she would be in this endeavour since Kal-El had already been defeated.

Both Diana and Cythonna stop when along with the sun returning a great ball of fire heads straight at them at immense speed. It plows into Cythonna and Diana can feel the heat almost scald her as the ball flies by.

Diana is quickly in pursuit as the fireball and Cythonna plunge into the city streets below.

The impact is close enough to both Buffy and Batman to knock them off their feet. The other heroes come running onto the scene as the dust and smoke clear to reveal a massive crater in the middle of which Cythonna lays.

Cythonna groans in pain as she pushes herself to her feet. She wobbles unsteadily. What was that?

She looks up to the rim of the crater as the wind blows more smoke and dust away and she sees what everyone else sees who is around. First it is a red piece of fabric blowing in the breeze. Starting at the bottom as Cythonna's eyes move up as red boots give way to blue tights give way to red shorts worn on top above which is a yellow belt. A blue skin-tight top adorned with a golden shield with what looks like a red stylised S. It becomes clear the red fabric is a cape attached at the shoulder and finally Cythonna's eyes come to the chiselled jaw face adorned with cerulean blue eyes that are fixing her with a steely gaze.

"Kal-El," Cythonna says from between gritted teeth.

Clark folds his arms across his chest in his most stern intimidating pose. "Cythonna. Now. Where were we?"

* * *

_Author's Note: Yes the proper supersuit is back! Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; Alien vs Goddess; Round 3_


	78. Part 4 Chapter 32: Alien vs God Round 3

Chapter 32: Alien vs the Goddess; Round 3

It was Clark and he looked awesome. Really he looked totally awe-inspiring not to mention gorgeous. Just when you think he couldn't look better he pulls this out.

Sadly for Lois he loves someone other than her. It's like God cursed her to fall into relationships that are doomed to fail or in Clark's case never start at all.

"You are too late Kal-El!" Cythonna proclaims.

"Am I?" Clark queries. "Cause you see what I think you are thinking is that I don't know what you did. I know all about the infection and how it is spread and now that the sun is back out I calculate everyone who was infected should transform back to normal within...20 minutes. 30 tops."

Cythonna growls. She hates Kryptonians. She hates their smug arrogant sense of superiority. That somehow they are always right. She especially hates it when they are right.

"Give this up Cythonna," Clark asks of her. "It is still not too late to change and use your powers to help mankind."

Cythonna laughs mockingly. "You are still a fool. You will never understand how the power you possess should be used."

"You're wrong. I do understand. I use it the only way I should. To protect those who can't protect themselves and by doing so allowing them to live long enough to grow into something magnificent. They only need a chance."

"I will give them a chance to be magnificent by pledging themselves to the undying worship of me!"

Clark shakes his head. "That will only strangle them. They need to be inspired."

"And you need to die!" Cythonna declares.

Clark sighs. "If that is what you want Cythonna but remember that however this ends up it is of your own making."

Cythonna floats up out of the crater until she is level with Kal-El. At her gaze all around her the heroes are closing in. It cannot...it will not end this way. Not when she is so close. She raises her arms out to the side and closes her eyes as she focusses her power. In a flash of light she teleports every demon in her army that is still alive here. She summons the ranks of the transformed. While they are still so they can be of use to her. They can deal with the lesser powers. She will need all her focus to fight Kal-El.

Clark never takes his gaze off Cythonna. "Arrow can you..."

"Handle the demon hoards?" Oliver quips. "Sure no problem. Just make sure you kick her ass."

Clark lips twitch upward for a moment. "I intend to."

Cythonna's eyes narrow to virtual slits. "I will not be disrespected in such manner!" she angrily proclaims. "I am a God and you Kal-El...you no matter how super this world's sun makes you...you are just a man," she demeans him.

Clark unfolds his arms. "Perhaps so but right now if I were you Cythonna I would be more concerned by her," he says pointing up behind the Goddess.

Cythonna's eyes widen as she remembers the Chosen of the Olympians she was fighting. She turns round just as Diana swings her sword to strike. Cythonna can't quite dodge the blow and the sword's pointed end cuts through her left cheek and her icy blue blood flows and this time the wound does not heal right off.

Cythonna doesn't have time to rant about it as Clark plows into her from behind sending the Goddess spinning uncontrollably into a nearby building.

"Shall we?" Clark asks Diana as in shall we work together and win this.

Diana looks at him oddly for one brief moment. He was so courteous. He was truly an enigma. "Yes we shall."

"Ladies first," Clark says offering for her to go first. Diana flies in after Cythonna with Clark following on behind.

"Now that's how you make an entrance," Xander remarks to Faith at the way Clark arrived.

'It was Clark,' is the only thought going through Buffy's head. Ok so that's a lie. There was also relief that he was alright. A mental note of just how scrumptious he looks in that red and blur suit. A desire to get him home as soon as and rip that suit off and have lots of life reassuring sex.

Then there was the fact he just flew off with the busty brunette in the swimsuit and that is so not jealousy eating at Buffy's stomach. No. It really isn't. She thinks it's indigestion or perhaps mild food poisoning. It's the only explanation she can come up with for her queasy stomach.

Inhuman screeches signal the return of the Jack Frost rip-offs as they march toward them. Great demons on one side. Killer snowmen on the other. Just another day in Buffy Summers' life.

Buffy spots Dawn in trouble and she blurs off to the rescue. It only takes a moment before Buffy dispatches the demons threatening her sister.

"Thanks," Dawn says which causes Buffy to look at her sister like she is seeing a complete stranger.

"What?" Dawn asks.

"You thanked me?" Buffy says like those words are completely foreign which they are from her sister's lips.

"Yeah well don't expect a repeat and...duck!"

Buffy ducks as Dawn releases a wave of green energy that flies over Buffy's head and impacts the demons that were sneaking up behind.

Buffy looks at where the now dead demons lie and then back to her sister. Her eyes narrow as she spots something. She strides forward and lifts a lock of Dawn's hair.

"What are you doing?" Dawn asks.

The lock is long enough so Buffy brings it forward to in front of Dawn's eye where the younger Summers spots what Buffy did. The tip has changed to green in colour. The start of what Buffy saw in the older Dawn in that version of the future they ended up in. That Dawn had whole streaks of hair coloured green.

"How did that happen?" Dawn asks.

"It's the energy of the Key. Once it is awake...well think how Illyria looks," Buffy explains or how Illyria used to look before Cythonna transformed the Old One.

Dawn frowns. "But I don't look good in green," she whines.

Buffy pats her sister on the head. "You'll adapt," she assures Dawn. "Now where is that no-good boyfriend of yours who was suppose to look after you?" Buffy inquires with a slightly menacing tone of voice about Connor failing to live up to his promise.

"Buffy get off that horse already," Dawn tells her sister.

At this point Faith, who was close enough to overhear, says, with her custom sultry smirk, "The only Stallion B rides little D is Clark."

"Oh god I think I'm going to be sick," Dawn says as her hand goes over her mouth at that image.

"Join the club," Xander says, his face looking quite green.

Buffy rolls her eyes as she effortless catches the arm of a demon attempting to hit her without even looking. She kicks it in the stomach before dispatching it with a single blow of the scythe. She briefly looks up and hopes Clark is alright before she gets back into the fray.

* * *

In the skies above Metropolis Cythonna's fight against Diana and Clark continues. Cythonna blocks an attack from Diana's sword with her own only to find herself struck with a blow to the side of her face from Clark who took the opportunity with Cythonna's focus on Diana.

Cythonna spins through the air before regaining control. Her two foes come flying in after her. She swings her sword in front of her releasing a wave of white energy. Diana crosses her bracelets in front of her. The act of doing so creates a magical field that protects the wearer from any attack. The energy bends round her. For Clark there is no such luck as it strikes with immense force sending him spiralling from the sky.

Cythonna quickly takes advantage of having only one opponent and attacks Diana who finds herself going backward on the defensive. Cythonna forces an opening, a bone rattling punch lands on Diana's face, followed swiftly by a spinning kick sending Diana tumbling through the air. She barely has time to register Cythonna closing in and only barely blocks the strike of Cythonna's sword.

Hera is she fast and strong.

"Your Gods will pay for this affront!" Cythonna growls. "You, however, will not live long enough to see it!"

Cythonna's eyes glow white and Diana, having not seen this power is unprepared as the freeze vision blasts her in the face. Diana cries out and brings her hands to her face in an attempt to protect herself from the immeasurable cold.

Cythonna's hearing picks up the sonic boom. Kal-El. Not upset about not getting to see just how much cold Diana can take she grabs the currently defenceless princess by an ankle and throws her right into Kal-El. As quick as even Clark can blink Cythonna points her sword at the two tangled figures and hits them with a blast of white energy which propels both all the way down into yet another building which collapses under the force of impact.

"That could have gone better," Clark mumbles as he pushes the debris off of himself. "You alright?" he asks Diana as she too pushes some debris off herself.

"I am fine," she reports with all the stoic nature of a warrior. Although she feels she should thank him because as they fell together he positioned himself to take the full brunt of the impact so she wouldn't.

Clark looks up and peers through the rubble and sees Cythonna flying down. "On my count," he says and Diana understands. On his count they both fly out of here and try and surprise Cythonna.

"On 3," he says and holds up 1 finger, then 2 and then Clark and Diana burst free of the rubble only to be met with 2 beams of energy from Cythonna sending both heroes spiralling off in different directions where they smash into the ground.

This definitely wasn't going to plan. Ok so Clark hadn't had time to work through a proper plan he'll admit but ever since Cythonna got the drop on him at the Fortress he has been on the back foot making counter moves up on the hoof. Clark picks himself up only to find another beam of white energy slams him in the chest.

He slides back across the street before he digs his feet in against the force and the pain and stops himself before through sheer force of will he takes slow steps forward.

The energy dissipates and Clark's chest literally smokes as his shield has blackened around its edge. He looks up as Cythonna lands on the ground and drives her sword into it. She steps round it towards him. "I vowed Kal-El that would kneel at my feet and you shall. I will break you with my bare hands."

"You know Cythonna all I've seen from you so far is a lot of talk. Very little action backing it up."

"You dare?" Cythonna angrily exclaims unable to believe he is mocking her. "Not a few hours ago I had you defeated, beaten, bleeding."

"True but I'm still here Cythonna."

"You will fall Kal-El. I am a God and you cannot defeat me."

"Is that so? Then tell me oh great Cythonna," he says with a mocking sneer, "if you are so all powerful why haven't you won yet?"

Cythonna growls and in a white and blue blur flies at Clark while in a red and blue blur he flies at her. The clash shakes the city.

* * *

When Diana crashed into the ground she found herself jumped upon by many demons. She had read about such creatures but never fought them until now as she attempts to throw them off of her but more keep coming. Help arrives in the form of Buffy and a few slayers who had been nearby. The demons are soon on the retreat.

Buffy offers her hand which Diana takes.

"I thank you sister," Diana says not meaning literal sister of course. To her all women are her sisters.

"No problem. You can make it up by telling where I can get an outfit like that," she quips off with a rather silly looking smile.

Diana's eyebrows drop slightly in confusion.

Inhuman screeches catch their attention as dozens of transformed march upon Buffy and Diana only they are not quite as transformed as before. Parts of their bodies are starting to revert to human skin.

Buffy groans. "It is just not my day."

"Then perhaps I can help," J'onn says as he floats in.

Buffy holds her hand out in the direction of the transformed. "Be my guest."

J'onn gives her a nod before his whole body begins to change. His skin becomes green as his body elongates until he takes on the appearance of a Chinese Dragon. J'onn then weaves in and out of the transformed his long body knocking them around like bowling pins.

"Wow...that's...um...something," Buffy lamely manages to say.

Diana nods in agreement. That was truly remarkable and it reminds her of what she has been forced to miss back home because of the Amazons self-imposed exile. She then mentally chastises herself. This is not the time to be having selfish thoughts. "I must get back to helping Kal," she announces.

Buffy's head whips round. "Excuse me? Kal?" she queries with a flash of jealously at how familiar Diana suddenly seems to know Clark.

"Is it not his name?"

"Well...yes it is," is all Buffy can say because it is his name.

Diana is just more confused now. This world is very strange with its language and customs and when this is over she promises herself to spend some time studying it but as for right now she has to find Cythonna and complete the task the Gods sent her on. She flies up and away.

"I really have to learn how to fly," Buffy promises herself.

A flash of red and gold announces Bart's arrival. "HiNotimetoexplainNeedyourhelp," he says so quickly Buffy is barely able to understand it before she finds herself picked up and blurred away.

When she is dropped off she finds Oliver and co trying to protect civilians from the demon hoards that just seemed endless.

A blast of magical energy strikes a few. "Hey Buff!" Willow greets her friend.

"Hey Will," Buffy greets the redhead back although hiding the fact she really isn't thrilled that Willow is this close to the action but as things look perhaps she doesn't have that luxury anymore.

"Welcome to the party," Willow jokes.

Buffy smiles a tried smile. She has been running on adrenaline for quite some time now and she isn't really sure how much longer she can keep this up. She takes a deep breath and charges into the demon ranks.

* * *

Clark and Cythonna stand toe to toe battling it out in the middle of the street. Despite all the training Buffy had given him Clark was steadily finding himself barely able to keep up with Cythonna's level of skill. Arguably the Goddess was better than his own girlfriend.

Clark lands a punch across the Goddess' face followed by another before Cythonna blocks the third one. She manages to grab hold of his wrist twist his arm back and kick Clark in the stomach. She then flips him onto his back and tries to slam her foot onto his face. Clark counters first kicking her in the stomach forcing her to let go.

Clark is to his feet in an instant, zips forward and delivers a punch sending Cythonna smashing into a nearby building. He floats up to where she vanished only to find a white and blue blur smash into him sending him careening into yet another building.

This was getting nowhere fast except to put half the insurance companies in Metropolis out of business due to the scale of the damage. Clark knew he had to come up with some way to end this before there was nothing left of Metropolis.

"Finished playing around yet?" Cythonna asks as she floats there looking supremely arrogant.

Clark gets to his feet. Yeah. It was time to stop holding back. Better to cause some damage in a short fight rather than drag this out and cause greater damage and possible loss of life. "Are you?" he asks back.

"Be careful what you wish for Kal-El," Cythonna warns him.

Clark's face grows grimly determined as he zips forward and the two titans clash once more.

* * *

A series of batarangs impact several demons and explode.

"I have got to get me some of those," Buffy remarks.

"Pft," Oliver says dismissively. "Arrows are way better!" he argues as he fires what is his last one and then starts using his bow as a weapon. "Because you can use the bow to hit things with when you run out."

Dinah rolls her eyes as she lets out her Canary Cry. 'Boys and their toys,' she thinks somewhat dismissively.

"Please," Cyborg says dismissively. "Nothing beats a sonic cannon," he argues in favour of his weapon as he fires it at the demons.

"You guys are totally wrong," AC points out as he steps next to a burst fire hydrant. "The ability to control water has you all beat," he argues as he directs the flow of water at his will and slams it into a few demons knocking them over.

"You guys are so wrong," Willow argues. "Magic trumps all of you. Right Zee?" she asks Zatanna to back her up.

Zee smirks. "I'm going to go with the clichéd 'You know it girlfriend!'."

Buffy dispatches the last demon and takes some deep heavy breaths. "Now someone care to explain to me what it is you needed help with?"

Bart scratches the back of his head nervously. "Um yeah. You see the thing there is...is that I lied."

"What?" Buffy exclaims looking at him through narrowed eyes.

Bart zips behind Cyborg for protection. "He made me," he says pointing at Batman.

Buffy walks up to Batman. "Care to explain."

Batman remains unruffled. "I needed you to be here."

"Why?"

"To make sure you aren't hurt."

"Excuse me," she says more than a tad annoyed at his presumption. "In case it escaped your notice I can look after myself and even Clark has the sense not to argue differently."

"His logic is flawed because of his feelings for you. Mine is not. You were out of your feet an hour ago. You are running on nothing but adrenaline. What happens when that runs out?"

"I'll be fine," Buffy insists stubbornly.

"You are very good at hiding it but I can tell by the way you are holding yourself you're hurt. I'm guessing cracked ribs, a torn ligament in your right leg and possibly a strained left shoulder and those are probably only the tip of the iceberg."

"I heal fast," Buffy argues.

"Under normal circumstances I'm sure you do but you're exhausted and even your supernaturally enhanced body requires nourishment and rest. You keep this up it is only a matter of time until you make a sloppy mistake due to fatigue. A fatal mistake."

"You are not my mother."

"No. I'm Batman and this isn't just about your personal health. If this mission is to succeed we will most likely require your power and strength."

Zee groans. "It's always about the damn mission isn't it," she says with some spite. That is what put pay to their relationship. Bruce and his eternal obsession with his mission.

"Yes," Batman replies simply.

"Buffy," Willow says gently as she comes and places her hand on her friend's shoulder. "He's right. You need 5 minutes."

"We don't have 5 minutes. We have to help Clark," Buffy says stubbornly refusing to accept she needs to rest.

"Buffy," Willow says more forcibly.

Buffy looks at her friend. "Will if I stop I won't be able to get going again," she explains showing Buffy knows how bad off she is and also knows that as soon as she stops that is it. She won't be getting back up for hours.

Willow while worried about her friend nods in concession.

"Alright then," Buffy says to get everyone's attention. "With the Jack Frost thingies changing back we just need to finish all these demons off and since Cythonna was kind enough to bring them all together it's time for us to go on the offensive."

Oliver agrees. "Cyborg status of communications?" he queries wondering if Victor has solved the problem yet.

"I have them working again although the quality is poor," he cautions.

"Then command everyone to regroup around the Planet building and lets finish this," Oliver orders.

* * *

Clark smashes through building number 4 or is it number 5. Lets just say his fight with Cythonna wasn't going well at the moment which would be why. They would share a few blows and then Clark would find himself smashing through a building.

Anyway he goes right through this building and lands in the street. Next thing he knows is Cythonna plowing into him feet first as they smash down into the subway tunnel below. The ground shakes and painful grunts can be heard as the alien powerhouse and the Ice-Goddess fight it out below the streets.

Then the Goddess bursts out after being on the receiving end of a mighty blow. She flies through the air and ends up smashing into the base of the Globe atop the Daily Planet building. The Globe rocks off its shattered foundation and starts to plunge into the streets below.

Directly below Lois, Chloe and Jimmy had managed to get back to the Planet after deciding that perhaps it might be safer to find cover. A shadow looms overhead as the Globe heads right for them. They only barely have enough time to cover their heads as they wait for the inevitable except it never comes.

When the 3 look up they find the Globe above their heads after being caught by Clark, who is starting to look a little worse for wear. "You alright?" he asks them.

All 3 nod in dumb shock. Lois then snaps out of it and elbows Jimmy. "Olsen. Picture. Now!" she yells at him realising that this makes perhaps the greatest picture ever with Clark holding the world on his shoulders.

Jimmy raises his camera and takes the shot.

"Kal-El!" a voice screams from above. Cythonna.

"You need to go inside," Clark tells them, as he places the globe down. "Keep safe," he requests before he flies straight up to the roof of the Planet. He folds his arms across his chest as he floats there. "You screamed," he mocks.

Cythonna's face is twisted with hatred and fury as she floats up from the ruins of the Globe's base. "I take back my promise to make sure you died last Kal-El," she informs him.

"Oh dear. However will I sleep at night?" he snaps back mockingly in a manner Buffy would be proud of.

"Prepare to feel the wrath of my full power Kal-El," she says darkly.

"Talk. Talk. Talk. You've been promising to end this for hours I bet yet here we still are fighting and even if you defeat me my allies will never stop fighting. You can't win. You will never win."

"I am a God!" she declares loudly.

"You sound like a child repeating the same thing over and over. 'I am a God!'," he says in a mock impersonation of her. "That's your answer to everything only it doesn't answer anything. Your time is over Cythonna just as Krypton's is. Just as Cython's is. It's time for you to take your place amongst the Gods of the Old Worlds."

Cythonna gasps in horror at what Kal-El is saying. "Never!" she says in utter denial. She will never end up there. "Never," she repeats and she creates two white energy balls, one in each hand. "Never! You hear me Kal-El! I will never end up there!" she screeches at the top of her voice.

She throws the balls at Clark who dodges them before zipping forward plowing into her. He then locks his hands together and brings his fists smashing into her chin snapping her head back as she tumbles head over heels through the air. She recovers and flies straight at Clark who flies straight at her. They once more clash and the air ripples around them.

* * *

It had been harder than Diana thought it would be to find Cythonna but a series of booms alerts her attention to two figures clashing up ahead. She accelerates towards them as a red and blue blur plows into a building partially demolishing it.

Again with the smashing into buildings. This is starting to get really old not to mention quite painful. Clark pushes himself up to his knees only to find himself hit with a near rib shattering kick in his side that sends him smashing through the desks of what is an office. He coughs painfully. His ribs may not be broken but he thinks they are bruised after that.

As his gaze drifts up to find Cythonna stalking towards him, her face full of fury he spots a mark or two on her body that shows even Gods can get hurt but he is beginning to think not enough. He hasn't gotten her anywhere near where he needs her to be yet.

He stands up only to be met with a backhand sending him smashing through a couple of internal walls. Really, really getting old. He wipes a trickle of blood from a split lip.

Cythonna strides through the smashed wall and holds her hand out to the side. Several seconds pass until her sword returns to her hand having been summoned from where she left it.

Clark watches her carefully. She has to know she hasn't worn him down enough to try and finish him off or maybe he has just got her that angry she isn't thinking straight.

She moves to strike him down but Clark doesn't flinch for the reason that is just now smashing her way through the wall and blocking the strike.

"Arh!" Cythonna screams in pure frustration. Clark zips forward and strikes her hard sending the Goddess flying back out.

"Your timing is excellent," Clark compliments Diana.

"...thank you," Diana says uncertain what else to say. He was truly a strange being.

Clark zips forward and Diana follows him as they find Cythonna back out on the street picking herself up, white blood now trickling from her own split lip.

Diana blinks in astonishment. Kal made a God bleed with nothing but the power of his fists.

"I grow weary of you both," Cythonna growls in a low voice.

"Do you think she has had enough yet?" Clark inquires from Diana.

"If she had sense she would yield and see she cannot win."

"I will not yield!" Cythonna rages. "I will destroy this entire planet first!"

Diana raises her sword in readiness. "You shall not," she declares. "Not while I still draw breath."

"That can be remedied Princess," Cythonna spits out. "Illyria!" she calls out and next to Cythonna appears one of the transformed. One in particular whose body changes back into the albino version of the Old One.

"Yes Mistress?" Illyria inquires.

Cythonna points at Diana. "Destroy the Amazon," she commands.

"By your command," Illyria responds in mindless obedience.

Diana braces herself as the short albino woman starts to walk toward her.

"Oh word to the wise Diana," Cythonna says. "I've enhanced her powers with my own."

Before Diana can work out what that means Illyria has blurred forward and strikes Diana hard sending the God-blessed Amazon slamming into another building which is the unfortunate side-effect of fighting in a city. The congested nature of the city leaves little room to avoid them.

Illyria wastes no time in blurring after Diana.

"Now then Kal-El," Cythonna addresses him. "How did you phrase it again?" A malignant smile comes to her face. "Oh yes. I remember. Where were we?"

Cythonna zips forward intent on striking Clark down with her sword. He rolls out of the way and picks up Diana's sword which she had dropped the instant Illyria had struck her. He brings it up in time to block Cythonna's attempted follow up.

The two opponents back off and circle each other.

Cythonna points her sword at him. "This ends today Kal-El. One way or the other," she vows.

"I know."

"To the finish," she declares her intent that this fight will not end until one of them is dead.

"As I said Cythonna this is all on you."

The two rivals charge at each other and clash once more in a fight that as Cythonna said will end one way or the other today.

* * *

Buffy is leading the ever increasing in size group of heroes and slayers as they fight their way back to the Planet. The demons were in retreat. In fact Buffy was having them shepherded to the one spot by sending groups of slayers down side streets. She is putting an end to this before her injuries and fatigue catch up with her and while she is still able to stand.

In the distance she had heard booms and what sounded like building collapses which she is guessing is Clark. He better be kicking butt or she will be kicking his and then her own for not training him better.

One of the now only partially transformed attacks her and she uses the back of the scythe to hit it but not fatally. As it falls it transforms back to completely human and Buffy gasps as she recognises who it is. "Giles?" she exclaims before bending down next to him.

She gently shakes him. "Giles. Wake up. Tell me you're alright?" she asks with concern for the person she has always considered closer to her than her own father.

Giles groans as he wakes up.

"Come on Mr Watcher Man. This is no time to be sleeping on the job," she teases him.

Giles eyes flicker open. "Oh yes. How rude of me to get transformed into Cythonna's slave," he jokes dryly.

Buffy helps him to his feet. "Well I'll forgive you if you try to avoid doing that again. I don't like to beat you up more than once a day," she says with a tiny smirk.

Giles looks around and gets his bearings. "How are we doing?"

"Well Clark finally showed up although God knows where he was. You know I haven't had time to chat to him and on top of that he shows up with this brunette in a swimsuit and despite what others may tell you I am so not jealous about her being taller than me or that she can fly."

Giles shakes his head. "I think I was better off as a mindless slave."

"Nah. That is so not you. I'm the brainless one of this outfit remember."

"G-Man!" Xander greets Giles when he spots him.

"Now I know I was definitely better off," Giles mutters.

"Well look on the bright side at least you kept your clothes although you are going to need the God of seamstresses to repair that," Xander says indicating the torn tattered nature of Giles' clothes.

Buffy hands Giles off on to Xander. "You keep him safe Xander. I have to go be Uber-Slay Girl," she says before she takes off to catch up with the front of her army.

When they reach the Planet all the shepherding has worked as the demons are penned in, surrounded on all sides. The Slayers and heroes alike charge in to put an end to Cythonna's army.

As Buffy slays her way through them the ground shakes twice. She slays a few demons around her trying to get a clear view. Oh what she would give to be taller. That is when she spots a few things. The brunette in the swimsuit down on the cracked ground where she had obviously impacted and...is that Chloe running over?

It is Chloe standing right in the way of the transformed Illyria who Buffy notes has made a return.

Second thing Buffy notices is Clark in a similar position to Diana as Cythonna stalks him, about to deliver the final blow because even from here Buffy can see Clark is looking pretty beat up and his costume is definitely worse for wear.

Buffy can get to one of them in time. Not both and that is when it strikes her.

In the future, that dark twisted one she ended up in with Dark Willow ruling the world. In that future Willow had been pretty vague about what happened to Chloe. Something about her being caught in the crossfire but now Buffy gets what happened. Somehow events are transpiring to play out exactly the same leaving her with a choice.

Buffy made the choice before. Clark over Chloe. That future. Dark Willow. It was all her fault Buffy realises at this precise moment and yet here she is now facing the same choice.

"Chloe!" Buffy can hear Willow's desperate screams at seeing the woman she loves in mortal danger.

Buffy knows she has to choose. She has only moments to do so. Save Chloe and Clark dies. Putting aside the fact the man she loves with very fibre of her being would die shattering her heart from every vision, from everything they have been told only Clark has the power to destroy Cythonna. If he dies the Goddess wins and Willow's vision of a bleak frozen Earth comes to pass. If on the other hand Buffy saves Clark Chloe will die and she risks history repeating itself as her friend becomes the dark twisted bitter hate filled version of Willow she met in the future.

It's an impossible choice but she has to make one. As Cythonna raises her sword Buffy knows all she has time to do is zip in front of Clark and take the blow herself. She'll die just like it was foretold.

As Illyria pulls her fist back, a blow which will shatter Chloe's entire head killing the blond reporter, Buffy thinks that if she saves Chloe and stops Illyria she'll probably live but Clark will die and so might the world.

What does she do?

She chooses.

She follows her heart and chooses.

Well if she is following her heart...in that case it is the simplest choice she has ever had to make.

Choice made Buffy zips forward and the world's fate is sealed one way or the other.

* * *

_Author's Note: And we draw towards the conclusive moment. Buffy's choice and its consequences. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; The Source is the End._


	79. Part 4 Chapter 33: The Source is the End

Chapter 33: The Source is the End

**Two weeks ago...**

Buffy had decided to celebrate the fact Clark got a job at the Daily Planet in her own inimitable style.

They had had a small party with a few friends and after that ended Buffy's way of celebrating came to the fore. They ended up having lots and lots of sex. Good time was had by all...especially her and Clark.

Right now Buffy lies there in bed gasping to get her breath back. It was still amazing. No matter how often they did it it was amazing. In fact it was more so since she got her powers enhanced. She had a more demon-y side to her nature that had claimed Clark as its mate. That side would accept nothing but to be with him. It made her if anything more aggressive in bed than ever. More needing to be as close to him as possible. God if Faith ever finds out Buffy knows she'll never hear the end of it.

Buffy finds herself pulled into Clark's arms and she cuddles into his broad chest, the more demon part of her sated for the moment. She then feels his chest move with a deep rumble of laughter. Buffy looks up to see Clark's blue eyes looking down at her twinkling with humour. "What?"

"Nothing," he says but Buffy can tell by the way he is looking at her that it is something.

Buffy gently jabs him in the chest with her finger. "Spill mister or Buffy turns off the snuggles tap," she threatens meaning withholding sex.

"Alright," he gives in. "You're purring."

"I'm what?"

"Purring. You are literally purring," he tells her.

"Okaaayyyy," Buffy drawls slowly unaware she had been doing that or what to say in response. Stupid demon side.

Clark holds her tighter. "I'm not freaked out or anything," he assures her in case that is what she is thinking.

"It's weird though right?" she assumes.

"A little," he concedes, "but that's fine. Weird can be good."

Buffy lays her head back down. Weird. Her whole life has been weird one way or another since she was 15 and this was before she met Xander and then things got really strange. She manages a soft chuckle at her joke.

Clark strokes her hair and she closes her eyes. "I know I raise things at strange times but I've been thinking of something lately."

Buffy shifts slightly to get more comfy. "Hmm what?" she says a bit drowsily.

"Cythonna."

"What about her?"

"Buffy we have maybe a few weeks tops and we both know what is meant to happen."

That wakes her up and she rolls off Clark and sits herself up. "No Clark what happened in that future that no longer exists," she corrects him.

Clark sits himself up now. "Buffy the First..."

"Is a lying duplicitous piece of crap and you should know better than to listen to it."

"I'm not listening to it but..."

"But?"

"But at some point when I'm fighting her are you saying you won't throw yourself in front of me to save my life if such a moment comes."

"I sure as hell will throw myself in front of you to save your life," she says forcefully and completely meaning it. "I would also throw myself in front of a total stranger to do the same."

"I know you would Buffy but I'm asking you not to."

"Clark please don't ask that," Buffy pleads because that will leave her horribly conflicted. If he asks something of her she would do it but not that. Not to throw herself in front of him to save him. How is she suppose to not do that?

"I'm not. I'm asking you to trust me."

Buffy looks into his eyes and sees him pleading with her. Her resolve is cracking. "I do trust you Clark. You know that."

"Then trust me. If that situation arises trust me to get out of it myself. Now I'm not going to make you promise or anything. I'm only asking you."

"I'm making no promises," she tells him. "But I'll try to do what you ask."

Clark leans forward and kisses her on her temple. "That's all I can ask."

* * *

**The present...**

Clark makes a mental note for future reference not to get a God angry at him because they can really really hit. He spits up some blood as he pushes himself back up to his knees. He had dropped Diana's sword when he landed and it lies just beyond his reach.

Cythonna moves in to strike him down, she too starting to look worse for wear. In fact if she was human Clark is pretty certain she would have worked up quite a sweat by now.

"Time to die Kal-El," Cythonna announces. "It does not matter if you defeat my armies, my minions, my servants because I will still stand immortal, immutable, immovable. Tell me who there is left to stop me?"

She thrusts the sword forward aimed at his face, only at the last second for Clark to catch it between the palms of his hands. He then looks at Cythonna directly in the eye, his eyes glowing dimly. "There's me."

Back with Buffy she has made her choice and she barrels into Illyria mere moments before the enslaved Old One strikes Chloe down. Clark had asked her to trust him so she's following her heart and trusting him. She takes one moment to look at him and finds he has caught Cythonna's sword between the palms of his hands. She cannot believe he is stealing her thing. When they get home he is so getting a piece of her mind.

In the meantime Illyria pushes Buffy off and she rolls with the momentum and springs back to her feet. She spins round, scythe ready to do battle. "Illyria. Fight this. You are the Shaper of Things. A God-King. You're not a puppet," Buffy implores the Old One.

Illyria's face twitches for one moment. "I exist only to serve Cythonna," she declares with complete belief making Buffy realise that this is only going to end one way and she charges in.

"Chloe!" Willow shouts as she rushes over to her girlfriend. "Are you alright?" she asks with desperate worry as she looks Chloe over.

Chloe blinks as her brain unfreezes. Illyria had been mere moments away from putting a fist through Chloe's head. She looks up at Willow and can see black streaks in her girlfriend's beautiful red hair showing how close they had just come to Willow losing it. She wraps her arms around Willow. "I'm fine. It's alright. We're good."

Willow lays her head on top of Chloe's head and the black steaks fade away. "Don't do that to me again," she tearfully pleads.

Ok so Chloe will admit her running out in front of zomb-Illyria wasn't her brightest idea nor was perhaps not heeding Clark's advice and going inside where it was safe. This fact could be reinforced by the death grip Willow currently has on her and the desperate words of fearing her girlfriend would lose her being muttered into her hair. "I won't leave you," Chloe promises. "I love you."

"I love you too Chlo."

Both don't notice Diana who is just about back up to a sitting position. Illyria's strength, speed and power had taken her by surprise. This fight was definitely starting to take its toll on her body if the pain she is experiencing is anything to go by. Her eyes drop on the young blond woman and the redhead next to her in a tight embrace, obviously one of lovers. Despite being in the midst of battle the sight makes Diana smile ever so slightly for them.

Back to the God and the alien Cythonna struggles to make the sword move while Clark holds it firm. "Just accept your fate and die!" she spits out in fury through gritted teeth at the immense effort it is taking simply to try and push the sword forward even an inch more.

"Accept yours and accept your time has passed," Clark says back through equally gritted teeth.

"I despise Kryptonians!" Cythonna growls.

"Well I ain't exactly feeling a lot of love for you either," Clark manages to quip.

The stalemate continues. Cythonna can't move her sword forward and he can't move it back.

"I offered you greatness Kal-El and you rejected me for what? Your mate? These insects that crawl over this planet?" Cythonna practically screams at him in total frustration at how she cannot seem to win this or even just kill him.

Clark's eyes narrow and he glares at her as he knows she is referring to humans. "They aren't insects. They are sentient beings."

"They are pathetic selfish creatures."

'Like she is so much better,' Clark thinks sarcastically but he doesn't say it. Instead he says, "You're right. They can be cruel, petty and selfish but they can be good, selfless, brave, noble and honourable. They have a greatness within them that you will never understand nor possess."

"And will you die for them? For this belief?"

"If I have to because I won't allow you to destroy their great potential. You can call them insects but every day they struggle and fight against the inevitable. You were gifted power because you are a God. They have had to earn their power. They are trying all the time to better themselves which is something you can never claim. You call them inferior when in fact the opposite is true. They are the superior ones."

Cythonna is about to mock him for his foolishness when sounds all around her catch her attention. It is the people. Those who have returned to normal after their transformation, their clothes torn as a sign and others who are around. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people who are at this very moment clapping and cheering and Cythonna realises it is in response to Kal-El's words which they all heard.

For Cythonna it just reinforces what foolish pathetic creatures these humans are. Even if the entire population of this city tried to stand against her they would perish, each and every one of them. Kal-El's words mean nothing...apart from the fact she has taken her eyes off him to gaze in disbelief at the cheering crowds.

Clark flips Cythonna's sword out of her grasp and zips in delivering punch after punch in rapid succession driving the Goddess back. He delivers a knee to her gut bending her over, then a downward left to her head. Another. Third times the charm as they say as he puts all his strength into it.

Drops of blue blood spatter the ground as Cythonna falls forward, coughing and groaning in pain.

Clark takes a few deep breaths. He really doesn't think he can keep doing this for much longer. "Give up," he tells her.

"Never," she retorts remaining defiant although her voice is sounding weaker and less full of herself than it was a few moments ago.

Cythonna pushes herself back up although it takes some effort on her part as she stands extremely unsteadily on her feet. A God's power is suppose to be inexhaustible but Cythonna can feel pain and fatigue creeping in. This is impossible!

Cythonna glares at him. "I told you Kal-El this will not end as long as one of us remains alive." An evil smile then comes to her bloodied lips. "And even if I fall I will take what is most precious to you away."

Clark's brow furrows in confusion as Cythonna's gaze turns. Clark follows it to fall upon Buffy fighting what use to be Illyria. Illyria grabs Buffy in a bear hug trying to crush the life out of the blond slayer but Clark knows Buffy can break that.

"What I giveth I can taketh away," Cythonna announces and what she gave was life beyond life for Illyria and now she takes it away. Illyria's skin starts to crack like when Cythonna slew her before only this time the energy within will explode outward.

Clark can see it all happening in slow motion. "Buffy!" he calls out and makes steps to move but as he does so Cythonna grabs his flailing cape and spins round on the spot before throwing him into yet another building. Emotions like love always make people do the most foolish things like take their eye off the Goddess.

Clark is not the only one to spot it. Chloe does too. "Will!" she shouts at her girlfriend and points in that direction. Willow's eyes narrow in determination to act but she only has enough time to throw up a partial shield. Her eyes turn black as she reaches for the power within. She throws the shield up around the area around the Planet which should protect the slayers and heroes, the Planet building and unfortunately the demons they happen to be fighting but Willow only has seconds to do this and no time to be picky.

Illyria explodes. Buildings crack and fall. Windows shatter. Innocent people die. Dust and smoke fill the air.

Willow drops to her knees exhausted and Chloe catches her. Chloe gives her a kiss on the temple. "You did it."

Willow gasps for breath. She did what she could but she still felt so many people die and Buffy...oh god Buffy.

At the sights around her Cythonna laughs. A chilling laugh in celebration.

"You are a monster!" a voice angrily proclaims having witnessed it but been unable to move fast enough to prevent it.

Cythonna looks as Diana strides forward to renew the battle. "You again?" Cythonna queries sounding bored.

"There is no-one to help you this time," Diana points out.

"I don't need anyone," Cythonna arrogantly pronounces. "Feel the raw power of a God!"

Cythonna's entire body glows with radiant energy so brilliant it becomes blinding forcing Diana to cover her eyes so she doesn't see it coming when Cythonna focusses all that power into one single massive beam. It strikes Diana, light fills several blocks. Diana screams out as pain like she never imagined she could feel racks her body before the blast knocks her into the same building Cythonna tossed Kal-El. The building promptly collapses as does Cythonna to one knee, keeled over, breathing heavily.

This is why she never did this before. It takes too much out of her. A shadow comes into her field of vision and she looks up to see a dark-skinned man only he isn't what he appears. Cythonna can tell. Another one come to challenge her. Does this never end?

Cythonna finds the strength to push herself up to her feet. "Who are you that dares challenge me now?" she demands to know.

"I am J'onn J'onzz. The last survivor of Mars." J'onn's form then changes as his skin becomes green, his clothes change into blue shorts with a red belt and boots. A red cross appears on his chest attached to which a blue cape hangs down. "And now Cythonna you will learn why I am the last survivor."

J'onn draws his fist back and slams an earth shaking punch into the weakened Goddess' face sending her tumbling down the street.

Cythonna's fury and rage fuels her to get back to her knees as J'onn flies at her. She summons up balls of energy and throws them at J'onn who phases and the balls pass through him. He slams into her knocking her over again.

No. That's the single word that passes through Cythonna's mind. No she will not be defeated. Not by Kal-El. Not by the Amazon Princess. Not by this Martian. She is a God and she cannot be beaten.

With a cry of rage and anger she launches herself at J'onn and the two lock together in combat.

* * *

Clark bursts out of the rubble of the building with Diana in his arms. She was badly burned and possibly worse. Who knows what that energy did to her. He focusses his gaze on her and uses his x-ray vision to see the extent of her injuries and as he watches he can see her injuries healing slowly. She'll recover he is fairly certain but she won't be conscious for awhile.

He activates his communicator. "Impulse. I need you."

As each communicator has a homing signal Bart is there in an instant. "You called Big Blue."

Clark walks over limping slightly and hands Diana over to Bart. "Keep her safe."

"You got it," Bart promises and is gone in a flash of red and gold. Bart can seemingly be irresponsible and not take things seriously but when it matters you can count on him.

Clark zips over to where Buffy is and finds her lying at the centre of a crater, destruction all around. Debris littering the ground. His heart aches at the mere thought of what just happened to her. He rushes down and cradles her head. Her body is badly burned and injured perhaps beyond her ability to heal. Tears sting his eyes. "Buffy?" he queries.

Buffy's eyes flicker open with a groan. They focus on him "Hi," she says with a smile.

"Hi," he says as she smiles back.

Buffy coughs painfully. "You don't look so hot," she remarks in regard to his own battered and bruised face.

"You look beautiful and sexy as always," he assures her.

"Aw. You're...a really terrible liar as always."

Clark's smile falters. "Please don't die," he begs of her.

Buffy raises a badly damaged hand to his face and lays it against his cheek. "We both knew this could happen."

Clark draws a shaky breath as he looks to the heavens before looking back down at her. "I can't do this without you."

"Sure you can or I'll comeback for the third time and kick your ass."

Despite the situation Clark laughs as tears start to leak from his eyes.

"Wow! Will you look at the time?"

Clark and Buffy's eyes both turn to the side as what stands there is Kal with the ridiculously oversized cartoon clock Buffy has seen before only now its hands stand mere seconds from the word death which is on it at the 12 o'clock position.

Both Buffy and Clark know who this really is.

The First.

'Kal' looks at them with a smug grin as he tosses the clock away. "Well now here we are just as I promised. The great Kal-El at his moment of destiny when he delivered his oh so inspirational speech cheered by thousands and one day by millions. The great love of his life dying in his arms as she prepares to meet her maker for the 3rd and I can assure you last time unless..."

"Forget it," Buffy tells it, her voice now a weak croak. "Clark don't you listen to it," she tells him.

The First/Kal bends down next to Clark. "Come now Clark. Look at her. I can give you the power to save her. I can give you the power to crush Cythonna. By the way kudos on the job you have done so far. Honestly I never expected this to go the distance but you can't win. You must see this. You can beat her up, wear her down but in the end she is immortal and she will come back and eventually be victorious. It is only a matter of time. However certain entities that have existed since the beginning of time know a few things about destroying immortal beings so what do you say Clark. Embrace me. Let me into your heart and I will give you the power and knowledge to destroy Cythonna and then you can reshape this world to your will," it makes the offer.

Clark says nothing so the First adds further temptations. It morphs into Buffy. "You can do more than save me Clark," the First says pretending to be Buffy. "You can make me immortal. Think about that Clark. I will never leave you. Just the two of us until the end of time."

If Buffy wasn't in enough pain she has to listen to this gibberish. She manages to give the First a defiant glare. "Make all the damn promises you want but Clark will never betray who he is."

"Is that a fact?" the First/Buffy says with an arrogant know it all smirk. It then morphs its shape. "What about for me hmm? Would you do it to save me? Come on what do you say...dad?"

"Karen," Clark says in a whisper. He turns to look at the thing taking on his daughter's form.

The First/Karen smiles that beautiful smile Clark has seen in his dreams. The one that haunts him so because he knows he will never see it again in reality. His eyes drop to Buffy who is fading fast but refuses to go until she is sure Clark won't do this.

"Clark," Buffy says feeling the same pain of loss he does for their daughter. "Don't think about it. She's dead. We...you and I...we can't bring her back."

"But you already did," the First/Karen says. "Take a peek with those super peepers of yours dad. Have a look inside mom and tell her what you see."

Clark knows he shouldn't listen to it but for whatever reason his eyes flash electric blue as he activates his x-ray vision and that is when he spots it. "No," he says in a whisper unable to believe his eyes.

"No? No what Clark?" Buffy asks.

He looks up into her eyes. "Buffy...you're pregnant."

Ok so Buffy knows death is calling her and her mind may be a bit on the fuzzy side...well fuzzier side than normal but she could have sworn he said she was pregnant.

"Congrats mom!" the First/Karen says in a celebratory fashion. "Just 8 months until I make my comeback. Karen Summers-Kent: The Rebirth. Great title for a movie don't ya think...unless of course you die right here and now and take me with you. Wouldn't put that past you. After all you are so selfish. It's all me me me."

Buffy can see Clark wavering so she sucks it up. Sucks it up and pushes it down how much she desperately wants to have their daughter back. Hell to have any kid with Clark would be a dream but as she has done since she was 15 Buffy puts what she wants to the side. "Clark these are probably going to be my last words so listen. I loved Karen as much as you did. I would give anything...anything to have her back. I think perhaps I would even risk the world but what I will not have is any child in a world where you have sold your soul to this..._thing_. It will twist you into a monster Clark. Remember how close it came to doing that when we first met. Is that the kind of person you want raising your daughter?"

"I don't want you to die," Clark repeats.

"Answer the damn question," she demands of him. "Do you want that man you became to raise your daughter?"

Clark thinks back. He had tried to forget because it was so horrendous. He was just a despotic monster interested only in power and selfish wants and desires. A man who would crush anyone who got in his way. Even Buffy which he almost did. "No," he says. Clark would not want that man to be around full stop let alone raising his daughter.

Buffy fights off unconsciousness for another minute. "Then do me a favour. Tell that loser wannabe deity to get out of our faces."

Clark turns to look at what is impersonating his daughter once more. "Get out of our faces," he dead-pans.

The First/Karen's face twists in rage and hate. "You'll regret this!" she snarls.

"Yeah. Yeah. Blah. Blah. Heard it all before," Buffy mocks. "Get some new material and then get lost!"

The First's form dissolves from Karen into the demonic form Buffy has met before with glowing red eyes, horns and long talons. "This is not over!" it declares in a deep booming voice. "You hear me Kal-El. This will never end. You will join me or die!" it warns darkly.

"Give it your best shot," Clark dares it as he fixes it a stern glare.

With an inhuman roar the First vanishes from sight.

Now that that is done Buffy closes her eyes and lets out a laboured breath. Time to rest she thinks.

"Buffy," Clark says tearfully.

She once more reaches up with her hand which he takes into his own. "Clark."

"Yes."

"Go kick Cythonna's butt," she tells him with one last smirk.

Clark laughs and bends down and kisses her gently. "I love you," he whispers to her tearfully.

"I love you too. Go."

Clark places her hands upon her stomach in one last protective gesture. He then takes all his grief, loss and pain and pushes it way down into his stomach. Clark stands up straight, his senses soon focussing in on J'onn's fight with Cythonna. Time to end this.

With a bend of his knees he pushes off the ground and flies right into the Goddess and unleashes all his anger at what she has done with blow after blow after blow. He then cocks his right hand back and delivers one with everything he has left.

The ground shakes, windows shatter as Cythonna flies for miles smashing through buildings without stopping only for Clark to appear before her almost like a phantom before he smashes her down to the ground with a double-fist.

Cythonna impacts the ground, cratering it. She coughs painfully. She coughs up some of her ice blue blood as Clark lands nearby none too gently as he doesn't have the strength left to make any kind of dainty landing.

Pain racks Cythonna's body. She hasn't felt pain like this since her defeat all those years ago at the hands of the Olympians but she is still alive. She raises her head to see Kal-El standing there barely.

"It's over," Clark declares.

Cythonna laughs mockingly and for her painfully. "It's never over Kal-El for as long as I live and you have not the power to destroy me."

She very slowly gets up and glares at him. "The Olympians tried. They left my body nothing but a withered shattered shell but I survived. I survived the destruction of Cython that your foul filthy race was responsible for," she says with utter loathing. "I am immortal," she declares. "So do your worst Kal-El," she dares him "Have your allies do their worst for no matter what you do I shall survive and return. My victory is only a matter of time. So come on Kal-El. Come and try and kill me."

"Who said anything about killing you," Clark says very straight faced in an even voice.

Cythonna looks at him puzzled.

"J'onn now!" Clark shouts.

J'onn, who is floating above the scene, pulls a little rectangular box out from under his cape covered in sophisticated looking circuitry. J'onn presses a button on it and a sound like thunder fills the air. Directly behind Cythonna a vortex opens. Clark digs his feet in and pushes off cracking the ground under him. He zips forward, slams his shoulder into Cythonna's gut and the two of them vanish into the vortex.

* * *

**1 week ago...**

Clark hadn't really wanted to leave Buffy alone in their bed. He loves spending time watching her sleep. She is so beautiful but tonight even that sight could not help his mind find peace. Every day that passed brought Cythonna's rise closer and still they had no real plan on how to end it. With what planning they had made they were fairly confident they could beat her demon armies and at least fight the Goddess herself to a standstill and then what...

Fight a never ending war that would eventually devastate the planet. They could only keep the military out of it for so long before they tried to take Cythonna down with the most powerful weapons humans possess. Nuclear weapons which wouldn't do anything to the Goddess but would destroy cities and kill millions unnecessarily.

It was why Clark left Buffy and flew to the Fortress. He needed to try and come up with something. Some way to put a permanent end to Cythonna. He had been studying every record, every myth in its database to find some way he could end this. He had looked at sending her to the Phantom Zone but after discussing it with Jor-El for several hours they had concluded that it could not hold her for very long.

Cythonna's power was such she would eventually tear the dimensional barrier around the zone and make herself an exit along with releasing every thing, every monster, every murderer and psychopath that happens to be imprisoned there.

They needed another way and tonight it seems is the night Clark finds it...by chance really. He was studying Kryptonian myths involving other Gods hoping for some kind of solution from what happened to them. This path of study led on to a creation story. It was something referred to as the Source as in the source of all creation. However none who sought this power ever managed to find it for it was protected by the Source Wall, a barrier through which none, as far as anyone could ascertain, had ever breached. Those that tried ended up imprisoned in it, turned to stone for all eternity. The Source Wall contained the Gods from the 3 previous universes. This universe he and everyone else currently resided in was the 4th universe, home to the New Gods of the 4th World.

This was it. This was the answer.

"If you attempt to take Cythonna there you risk ending up trapped yourself Kal-El."

Clark turns to face his guest who had been assisting him since his guest had more practical hands on knowledge of the universe. "I'll take the chance J'onn," he tells his friend willing to risk his own personal safety if it means Cythonna's threat is put to an end. "Question is how do I get her there."

J'onn walks forward and pulls out a rectangular box from his pocket. "This is called a Mother Box. It was a gift from some friends I met on New Genesis. It can open what is referred to as a Boom Tube. In human terms essentially a wormhole that allows instantaneous travel to any point in the universe."

Clark takes the box and examines it. It's very...strange. It looked like a device yet it felt like it was alive as he held it in his hand. The box then makes a series of 'pings'.

J'onn laughs.

"What?" Clark asks.

"On nothing really. She likes you. That is all. Says you have a soothing spirit."

Clark's brow drops. "It is alive isn't it?"

J'onn nods as he takes the box back. "Yes they are sentient."

"How did you end up with it?"

"Oh as is the way with life it is a long story. After the destruction of my civilisation I travelled out into the stars trying to lose myself, trying to find a way to deal with my loss, trying to understand why I alone survived."

"I know that feeling," Clark says with a sad smile.

J'onn does not comment. He does not need to. He instead continues with his story. "I earned a living by hiring myself out as a Manhunter, a private detective essentially, to anyone who needed help."

"Is that what you were back on Mars? A detective?"

J'onn nods. "Yes although we Martians were a peaceful race for the most part. It was not as busy an occupation as it is here on Earth. To cut a long story short on one of my travels I ended up on New Genesis and they helped me come to terms with what had happened to my people. When it was time to leave they gave me this Mother Box. They told me she would know where I was needed to be so I activated the Boom Tube and left it to chance where I would go."

"Which was where?"

J'onn smiles at the memory. "Krypton. Right in the middle of your father's lab. That was how we first met. I believe the surprised look on his face could be construed as funny."

Clark chuckles.

"You are taking liberties in telling this story J'onn," Jor-El's voice booms out and if Clark isn't mistaken there is actual emotion inflected in the tone that sounds like annoyance as if Jor-El doesn't like the way he is being portrayed.

"Perhaps I am a little," J'onn concedes. "I believe I am...playing down your actual reaction," he says in a totally stoic manner that does not betray for even an instant he is making a joke.

Clark bursts out laughing as he imagines what his father's face must have looked like. This is certainly altering his perception of Jor-El. To follow this up Jor-El actually mutters 'Martians' in a disparaging tone which just makes Clark laugh all the harder.

Eventually Clark's laughter subsides and he and J'onn get back on the subject of Cythonna. "So how do we do it?" Clark asks the very basic but most pertinent question.

"She will have to be fought. She will have to be made angry, made to lose her focus, made to overuse her powers for even Gods, despite their claims to the contrary, have limits. She will have to be worn down to such a point she won't have the strength left to resist. It will be hard. The hardest battle you possibly have ever fought," J'onn cautions Clark.

"We'll have to keep her away from populated areas," Clark says knowing any fight with Cythonna will be massively destructive. It shouldn't be hard to achieve really. She hates him. She'll come to wherever he is so she can destroy him.

* * *

**The present...**

One of life's little ironies. Cythonna came to him alright when he wasn't ready for her. Since then Clark has been making plans up on the hoof all to get Cythonna to this point.

They travel through the vortex and Clark can see the opening on the other side. He flies faster as he and Cythonna emerge on the other side to be confronted by the Source Wall.

There it stands in space stretching as far as Clark can see in every direction. And embedded on the wall like stone statues are the Gods of the Old Worlds. Joined with them are the wannabe Gods, the dictators, the despots or those who were just plain mad enough to attempt to learn the secret that lies beyond this monumental epitaph to those that once possessed unimaginable power and those whose greed sought such power. There are so many they cannot be counted.

At this moment Cythonna wraps her hands around Clark's neck and tries to choke him. "No!" she screams in denial. "No I will not go!" she screams now sounding almost hysterical.

Clark tries to pry her hands from his throat. "Your time is over," he tells her once again. "It's time for you to go where you belong with all the other losers of the universe."

"Then I'll take you with me!" she swears.

Clark's eyes glow and he slams his heat vision into her chest breaking her grip and sending her spiralling into the wall. Instantly stone looking thread-like tendrils begin to fuse to Cythonna's body as she desperately and futilely tries to fight them and break free.

Clark is simply interested in trying to stop himself before he slams into the wall and ends up joining her but the Wall's gravity is pulling him in and he isn't sure he has the strength left to fight it. This was why they had to wear Cythonna down so all he had to do was get her close and she would not have enough strength to escape. In doing so Clark knew he was risking not being able to do the same but it was a sacrifice worth making if he saved Earth.

He finally manages to bring himself to a stop as Cythonna's body starts to turn to stone and fuse into the wall all the time with her screeching and ranting in denial of her fate.

Clark turns and starts to head back towards the vortex of the Boom Tube when a white tendril of energy wraps around his neck. He turns to find it is Cythonna's doing.

"You are coming with me Kal-El!" she screams into the endless darkness of space using the last of her power to make sure she will not suffer alone. "If I have to spend eternity here so do you!"

With the last of her strength and energy she starts to pull him in and Clark can't stop himself as he falls inexorably towards the Wall. He draws nearer and nearer and the stone looking thread-like tendrils start to reach out in order to ensnare him.

Just when Clark thinks that this is it two things happen. One. Something comes flying past his head missing him by mere inches. It turns out to be Cythonna's own crystal sword as it hits her, plunging into her stomach. Her grip on him is released. Cythonna barely has time to look down at the protruding implement before she turns completely to stone, imprisoned in the Source Wall for all eternity.

Another irony. For Cythonna the Source of all Creation is now her End.

The second thing now happens to Clark as a golden rope loops around his right wrist and he feels himself getting pulled away from the wall. That combined with what remains of his own power allows him to reach the event horizon of the vortex where three people stand. One, a not looking all that great Diana. In fact she looks in pretty bad shape still.

The second was J'onn who had obviously added his muscle to pulling Clark back and third was someone who was looking pretty darn good considering he left her near death not very long ago. In fact Clark is wondering if his somewhat woozy head is imaging it. "Buffy?" he asks unable to believe it is her.

"Was there ever any doubt?" she asks with that impish little grin of hers.

There is absolutely no doubt when Clark crushes his lips to hers and tastes, feels and smells everything that is unique to the woman he loves. Clark should have a hundred questions about how she is here and alive but right at this moment he doesn't care. All he cares is that the battle with Cythonna is over and she survived. They had defied fate and now their Entwined Destiny could begin.

* * *

_Author's Note: In the comic storyline Cythonna appeared in Superman defeated her by throwing her into the sun. He tricked her into battling him near the source of his power but as she was an **ice**-Goddess the sun had the opposite effect on her, weakening her so much that she could not escape the sun's gravity and she sank to its core where as far as I know she still remains to this day. I chose another option as what I described above wouldn't fit in with what I had written so I chose to imprison her on the Source Wall; the, as Starman phrased it once, retirement home of Old Gods. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; The End is the Beginning._


	80. Part4Chapter 34:The End is the Beginning

Chapter 34: The End is the Beginning

**Several minutes ago...**

When Willow had recovered enough she and Chloe made their way to Buffy's side. Both women suck in a breath through their teeth at the sight of how badly injured Buffy is. Chloe reaches to Buffy's neck and feels for a pulse. She finds a very faint one. "She is still alive," Chloe reports.

"Not for long," Willow says her voice choking with tears. "She's dying." Willow can feel Buffy's life-force fading away.

Chloe has definitely been hanging around heroes too long because the first thought that comes into her head is, which she vocalises in a stern authoritarian voice, "I can save her."

"Chlo no," Willow says instantly back shaking her head in denial at what she knows Chloe is about to attempt.

"It won't kill me...permanently," Chloe promises although she can't be certain of that but it is better than sitting here doing nothing while Buffy dies. "Will. Please. I can do this," she pleads.

Willow...no she can't do this. She almost just lost Chloe and now Chloe wants to risk her life healing Buffy.

"Willow," Chloe says softly. "I know what you're feeling because I would feel the same if our positions are reversed. I wouldn't want to lose you either. I can't guarantee this will work. All I can guarantee is that if what you're sensing is correct Buffy will die. Don't make me sit here and do nothing when I have the power to save her."

Willow debates with herself for a few more seconds before muttering under her breath in what Chloe thinks is a prayer. Willow kisses Chloe deeply. "Don't leave me," she pleads, her voice full of love.

"I'll do my best," is all Chloe can promise because she can't guarantee that she will come back. The injuries were severe and Buffy is not quite human so Chloe has no idea what is about to happen as she lays her hands on Buffy. One on the blond slayer's head and one above her heart.

Chloe shuts her eyes and takes a deep breath. Her powers have an empathic element so she can sense Buffy's injuries. All she has to do then is give in to the instinct and let her powers do their work. She feels Buffy heal as she feels her own life-force fade and just as the darkness approaches Chloe feels...feels the second life within Buffy and then she passes out.

Willow watches on as a pinkish-red glow flows from Chloe and surrounds Buffy. She can see Buffy's wounds heal before her eyes, through her moisture laden eyes, as she holds back the tears of worry for her girlfriend.

Eventually the glow fades and Chloe slumps forward. "Chlo!" Willow screams as she reaches forward and rolls Chloe off Buffy and rests her girlfriend's head in her lap. "Chlo. Baby. Come on now. Wake up. Please wake up. Please," she begs as the tears flow freely.

There a groan next to the sobbing witch as Buffy's eyes open and she tries to figure out where she is. She sits up and finds a crying Willow holding a lifeless looking Chloe. "Did she...?" Buffy asks just starting to work out what has happened.

Willow nods.

Buffy gets to her feet and dusts herself off. God her clothes are utterly ruined. It's amazing there is still enough of them left so she isn't indecent. She places her hand on Willow's shoulder. "Keep her safe. I...I...uh...need to go," she says hesitant to do that when Willow is in such a state but she has to find Clark and no doubt save his hide...again.

Willow nods and points in a certain direction. "That way," she tells Buffy.

Buffy nods and zips off. On the way she spots Cythonna's crystal sword and picks it up. She slides to a halt at the tall green guy standing next to a portal. Now Buffy is no Sherlock Homes but this could be a clue as to where Clark is. "Where is he?" she demands to know.

Before an answer can be given there is a thump and Buffy looks to her left as Diana, looking really quite seriously hurt, lands.

Diana, upon waking had not been able to be stopped flying away despite Oliver and co's best attempts. The look in Diana's eye was down right scary as she stared even Batman down. The warrior in her demanded that she get back and fight Cythonna to the finish. "Where is Cythonna?" Diana demands to know.

The green man speaks and the voice is instantly recognisable as J'onn. Both women listen to him explain what Clark is doing.

"And you just let him go?" Buffy splutters in rage, so angry is she her usual puns and quips have deserted her. The thought of Clark being imprisoned in this Source Wall thingy forever is terrible.

"Kal-El made his choice," J'onn replies stoically. "He knew the risk."

"Yeah well do you know the risk of me disembowelling you?" Buffy asks J'onn, the look in her eye almost close to murderous. In fact her eyes are faintly glowing yellow. It is then she catches the glint of gold off Diana's lasso. "I have an idea," she suddenly announces.

So what followed is rather obvious. Buffy, Diana and J'onn travelled through the Boom Tube to find Clark being pulled towards the wall by Cythonna who Buffy decided to put out of action once and for all. New record for long distance sword throwing goes to Buffy Summers. Thank you very much. Diana managed to use her her lasso to snare Clark and they pulled him back from the abyss.

* * *

**The Present...**

"Buffy," Clark ends up chastising his girlfriend after she tells this story as they exit the Boom Tube back in Metropolis. Coming after him when she can't survive in space was just lunacy. If she had fallen from the protection of the vortex she would have died.

She waggles her finger at him. "Don't Buffy me mister. I am very annoyed at you."

"I was just doing what you told me to," Clark mumbles in his defence.

"I told you to kick her butt not end up imprisoned on some giant space wall for all eternity. We will be having serious talk time later," she promises him threateningly. Then she grabs his face and kisses him deeply. She whispers in his ear, "Then you can make it up to me with lots of super sex."

"Ok," Clark agrees instantly blushing while he does so. He then looks at the city around them. It was practically in ruins and there was still Cythonna's demon minions to take care of. "We still have work to do," he announces.

"Don't we always," Buffy says in a resigned tone.

"You up for this Diana?" Clark asks with worry over her injuries.

"I heal fast," Diana announces, determined not to show weakness as is the warrior way.

"Then lets end this."

* * *

"Another one," Xander says with sadness and remorse as the body of another slayer is found amongst the ruins of many parts of Metropolis.

Faith doesn't show it but it is starting to really break her heart to see so many of the girls she trained, she led, she is responsible for dead and she hadn't been able to do anything about it. She feels Xander place an arm around her waist as if he knew what she was thinking and knew she needed support.

The battle was essentially over. Only a few demon stragglers were left. Once there were dealt with...well no-one was really sure what would follow now. They had all been seen by countless millions thanks to television and the internet.

However the priority had been helping the injured and collecting the dead. Once that was done they would deal with the consequences.

Kennedy, sporting a beauty of a black eye, comes up to Faith and Xander and actually gives a small salute. "There's no sign of Camille anywhere," she reports. Kennedy had been given the assignment of finding the fallen slayer.

Faith swears under her breath. That means that one day Camille would be back because if they can't find her body then she ain't dead.

"Alright," Xander says in acceptance of that. "Good job Kennedy. I know you did your best. Go back to searching for the missing girls but pass the word to keep an eye out just in case Camille is still in the city."

Kennedy nods. People call her abrasive and rude but she lost girls under her command and it hurts. Kennedy feels the pain as much as anyone.

"We'll be seeing her again," Faith says to Xander in reference to Camille.

"Oh no doubt. They always come back which means we can label Camille under the recurring villain category."

"Ugh. I can't believe I let you file things using comic book terms," Faith says in some disbelief. Sure she loves Xander but even all these years later he is still a geek. "How did you talk me into it again?"

Xander grins and whispers in Faith's ear exactly what he was doing when he got her to agree to that. In response a satisfied sultry smile adorns Faith's face. She then grabs Xander's face and kisses him deeply. "We'll have to do again soon," she says, her voice husky.

"Ok," Xander says his voice gone suddenly squeaky. He coughs and clears his throat. "I can't help but wonder how Camille escaped though and where she is," he says.

* * *

As consciousness returns to Camille she feels herself being dragged by her arms by two people one on either side of her. Her eyes flicker open to find she is in some kind of stone hallway lit by torches. The heat is almost unbearable and the smells...

Large doors ahead of her are flung opened and she finds herself thrown to the floor in what is a throne room of some kind, directly in front of the throne.

"You had no trouble retrieving her?" a deep dark voice asks.

"None my Lord," is the reply. "They were all too busy fighting the minions of Cythonna."

"Good."

Camille is just about pushing herself up when a huge powerful hand grabs her whole head and makes her look at...dear Goddess Cythonna. What is it?

Grey stone like skin and glowing eyes that looked like they barely holding back some immense power within.

"Your God has fallen," the...demon Camille thinks it is, says.

"Impossible," she whispers.

A cold smile that sends terrible shivers up Camille comes to the demon's face. "Little is impossible. However it does save me the effort of having to destroy her myself for that little planet you come from interests me and I share power with no-one."

The demon studies her some more with its cold dead eyes. "Even though your God is fallen her power resides within you as does the secret behind that power and I will have that secret and you will serve me," he informs Camille.

"Never!" Camille swears defiantly. "I will never betray my Goddess!"

The demon smiles once more. "Excellent. It is always much more enjoyable when they resist isn't it Lashina?"

Camille turns her gaze to her left to where, out of the corner of her eyes, she can see a tall woman dressed in leather with whips wrapped around her wrists.

"Yes my Lord," the one called Lashina says in what sounds like eager anticipation.

The demon releases Camille and Lashina and another woman with crazy green hair picks her up.

"Take her to Granny," the demon orders. He then fixes his eyes on Camille. "Break her!

The green haired lady laughs madly. "Oh fun fun fun. Granny will show you a great time!"

Camille is then dragged away.

"Desaad!"

A short man in robes moves forward and bows. "Yes oh Great Darkseid."

Darkseid, a New God, ruler of the planet Apokolips fixes his cold gaze on his lackey. "Did you get the images of the one who defeated Cythonna?"

"Yes my Lord," Desaad reports and activates a holographic display in the centre of the throne room.

Darkseid watches the images. It confirms rumours he had heard. "A Kryptonian. A rare specimen indeed. He will be a hindrance to our plans."

"Will I send someone to deal with him my Lord?" Desaad asks.

"Desaad you are a fool," Darkseid puts him down and Desaad cringes half-expecting a punishment of some kind. "He will not be that easily defeated. He has powerful allies but in the end he shall be defeated for that planet he resides on shall be mine."

"Mr lord if I may...it is such a minor planet. Why must we bother with it?"

"Because what I seek is there." Darkseid makes the image change to a short blond woman holding a red and silver scythe. He points at it. "Her. She is the key. I have been watching her for years. She has been to the realm beyond this life and returned. I will have her in my possession. That one I had brought here is a tool I will use to gain possession of her. Victory is at long last within our grasp. The Anti-Life Equation," Darkseid says with almost reverence.

It was once speculated that free will could be defined by an equation called the Life Equation. If that is so then Darkseid knew that there must be an opposite. An Anti-Life Equation that removes free will and he shall have it and he shall enslave the universe and remake it in his image.

Buffy Summers Darkseid had determined was the key to that equation. Everything she has been through, the very source of her power...that is where the answer lay. He will have her. He will have the secret at any cost and nothing and no-one will stand in his way.

Victory shall be his and a new age will begin where the whole universe will bow down and worship Darkseid.

* * *

Chloe sits up with a deep gasp as her lungs draw in breath. Her heart starts up and begins to pump blood around her body once more.

"Chloe!" is all she hears being shouted in utter relief before arms wrap around her in a bear hug. Familiar arms.

"Hey Will," she says her voice all croaky. "Can I get some water?" she asks for her dry throat.

Willow grabs a glass from the beside table and hands it to Chloe as she sips on it slowly. She looks around to see she is in her apartment lying on her bed. When Chloe puts her glass down Willow pushes her hair back and looks at her intently. Chloe can see the moisture in Willow's eyes and the shadows underneath them indicating worry and lack of sleep. "How long?" she asks.

"15 hours," Willow replies.

That makes Chloe's eyebrows rise. She has never been out that long before.

"I was so scared," Willow says her voice trembling.

Chloe pulls Willow into her arms and rubs her back. "Shh. It's ok. I'm here and I'm here to stay," she promises.

Willow closes her eyes and savours the feeling of a living breathing Chloe next to her.

"So what have I missed?" Chloe asks.

Willow pulls back and wonders where to begin.

* * *

"I cannot believe men," Diana fumes as she stands upon a rooftop. Her injuries were healing quickly but she was still not fully recovered. She was helping clean up the city and taking down the looters.

Clark stands next to her. "In what way?"

"The city is in ruins and all they can think about is stealing to benefit themselves."

"People are both good and evil Diana," Clark tries to caution her from painting everyone with the same brush.

"I am having a hard time seeing that."

Clark's brow furrows slightly before an idea hits him. "Follow me," he says as he floats up. Diana follows him until they come across a collapsed building with people digging through it looking for survivors. Clark points at them. "See the people with the torn clothes," he asks.

"Yes," Diana replies uncertain what Kal is driving at.

"Transformed by Cythonna. Now think about what they went through and then look at what they are doing. They haven't gone home or run away or gone out to loot and steal. They haven't thought of themselves first. They are here trying to help and are doing so without the benefit of the gifts we possess. Now isn't that something to be admired?"

"I suppose," Diana is forced to admit.

Clark smiles at Diana admission. "Come on. We should go help. I can see 3 survivors under the rubble."

The two heroes then float down to assist. Afterwards Clark floats up to fly off to the next site when he spots someone hiding in the shadows nearby. He zips next to him. "I thought you would be back off to Gotham," Clark comments to Batman.

"I need to stop the criminal element taking advantage of the chaos," he replies gruffly.

"Ah."

"I've been watching the newest arrival," Batman informs Clark.

"You mean Diana?"

"Yes. She's dangerous."

"In what way?" Clark queries unable to fathom how Bruce comes up with that analysis.

"She's a warrior with powers that rival yours. She's arrogant and headstrong and has dangerous set ideals."

"She just needs time to adjust," Clark argues back. "From what I know she grew up in a society devoid of men."

"I'm familiar with the legends involving Amazons. If even half of them are true her values and attitude teach her to look upon men with distrust."

"And of course you are the man to talk to about trust," Clark says somewhat sarcastically since from their very few meetings so far Bruce doesn't seem to trust anyone.

Batman ignores the jibe. "I'll be keeping an eye on her. I suggest you do the same and always remember one thing. Amazons are warriors, trained to kill."

"You're basing that on myths and legends," Clark points out shooting holes in Batman's argument.

"All myths have a basis in fact," is Batman's final statement before he turns and starts to leave. He walks around a corner just before Clark comes up with a counter argument. Clark zips off after Batman, turns the corner and finds...nothing. No sign. Not even to his super senses. 'How in the blazes does he do that?' Clark asks himself.

* * *

A couple of days after the battle with Cythonna down in the basement of the Planet Clark is taking an hour from helping clear up the city to write a story. He doubts it will get published since all he is writing about is a few eye-witness accounts of events. The view of the battle from the ordinary man's view. The main headline stuff is getting written by other more important people than him.

Metropolis itself...that was going to take a lot of rebuilding work. Lex had been quick to donate large amounts of money to the rebuilding effort which sadly Clark has to put down to be nothing more than a PR stunt to make Lex look like a benevolent philanthropist and not the scheming, manipulative power hungry person he really is. Clark will always wonder where it went wrong and if there was anything he could have done differently to have prevented Lex ending up like he is.

"You know I'll never get use to that."

Clark turns his head, pushes his glasses up his nose and looks quizzically as Oliver Queen strides over to his desk. "Use to what?"

Oliver gestures at Clark's appearance. He knew Clark long before his friend started putting on this mild-mannered reporter act.

"So what brings you here...Mr Queen?" Clark asks slipping back into the employee/employer dynamic that he needs to to remain inconspicuous.

"What? An employer can't check up on the health of his workforce after a major battle racks the city?" Oliver says with his usual over-the-top performance.

"N-no. O-Of course not sir. I-I never meant to imply..." Clark bumbles over his words.

Ollie has to laugh at the performance. He steps closer to Clark and speaks in a whisper. "I heard Chloe's awake."

Clark looks around. The other reporters are busy and not really paying attention. He nods. "Yeah. In fact she's 19 floors that way," he says pointing up to where Chloe works. Try telling Chloe to take some time off. You have a better chance trying to make Batman laugh.

"Look we need to have a meeting and decide what to do now that we're public," Oliver says still in a whisper.

Clark nods. He knows. Justice has been seen. The Slayers have been seen. They need to do something before the wild speculation gets out of control. "Give me 10 minutes to finish this. I have to do some work or I could be out of a job."

Oliver smirks. "Well if it counts I think I might have some pull with the boss." He is the owner of the Planet after all.

* * *

"Interview?" Buffy queries critically. That is what had been decided after the meeting and Clark was informing Buffy since she wasn't in charge of the Slayers these days. In fact unless Clark is mistaken she came up with an excuse to avoid going. Actually that is not the only thing she is avoiding these last couple of days. Between helping out in Metropolis she spent her time at the farm which is where they are now sitting on the couch.

"Buffy we've been seen. We have to tell people who we are, what we stand for and show they have nothing to fear from us," Clark explains.

"Clark my whole life, for all of history Slayers have been hidden, doing their work in the shadows," she argues.

"The world changed Buffy," Clark says bluntly rebuffing her argument. "Cythonna made sure of that. Demons, Gods, aliens, slayers, super-powered vigilantes or whatever you want to call us it can't be hidden anymore. We've been played on the tv for 2 straight days."

The response Clark gets is a frowning Buffy which is just wrong. "Buffy. What's wrong?" he asks softly his face full of concern.

"You mean apart from the fact I'm now tabloid fodder?"

Clark thinks this could be about the other thing they haven't talked about. "When are you going to speak to me?" he asks her.

"I'm speaking to you right now in case you didn't notice."

"Buffy. We're going to have a baby."

The cold unfeeling mask envelops Buffy's face. "I am aware," she says her voice a tad more than tetchy.

"You don't think I'm not worried too?" he asks her. He runs his hand through his hair. "Buffy...god when I left you...when I thought you were...dead...do you have any idea how I felt knowing our baby would die too?"

"Clark...do whatever you want. Go do an interview. Tell Faith and Xander it's up to them if they want to tell everyone about Slayers. What I can't do right now is talk about this." She then stands up and walks off without another word.

* * *

The morning edition of the Planet is dropped down on Lois' desk. She looks up at the one responsible. "Mornin' Smallville!" she greets him cheerfully, totally over the moon at getting her first headline story.

"Superman Lois?" Clark queries incredulous at the name she has given him.

Lois smirks. "I know. It's good isn't it."

"Superman Lois?" Clark repeats as incredulously as the first time he said it.

"Perry loved it. Thought it very befitting," she says innocently.

Clark is not buying the act. He had done his interview, given it to Lois, although the reasons why currently escape him and she had come up with a name for him. Superman. He shakes his head in disbelief at her.

"Alright. What's your major malfunction?" Lois asks him.

"That name Lois. That's..." he lowers his voice. "That's not me. I'm not some...any kind of Super-man."

"And that's exactly why it is you." Only that wasn't Lois saying it. It was Chloe standing behind him.

Clark turns to face her. "What?" he asks completely and totally lost as to how that is him in anyway.

"This really isn't the place for this," Chloe point out.

"Fine. Roof now. Both of you," Clark commands.

The 3 make their way up to the roof. "Alright Chloe make with the explanation please," Clark requests.

Chloe shakes her head with a wry smile. "You're starting to sound like Buffy," she mentions.

"Chloe," Clark repeats in his stern authoritarian voice trying to get her to explain herself.

"Clark this last year...has not been easy for you but at the crucial time...at the critical moment you made this great motivational speech. This last year you came closer to falling into the darkness than I ever thought you could and when you thought that Buffy was gone you could have given into your anger and rage and done something...unforgivable but you didn't. You found another way and the fact you don't even see that as in any way remarkable...well that is what makes you a Superman."

"And that is what makes my cousin the best friend you will ever have," Lois adds. "Because I would just told you that everything you did this last year made you a dumbass."

Clark chuckles in spite of himself. "Chloe called me that too," he points out.

Lois shrugs. "Yeah but she makes up for it with great pep talks. Me I just stick to the simple 'You are a dumbass'."

"Well with sparkling vocabulary like that there is no doubt how you became a reporter is there," he snarks.

Chloe giggles at that.

"No doubt whatsoever Smallville," Lois says proudly hearing the snark but choosing to pretend she didn't. "Stick around and you might just learn something."

"Yes like the fact Metropolis is really spelt with 2 Ls," he dead-pans utterly perfectly.

Chloe giggles more. Lois' spelling was atrocious.

Clark cocks his head to the side as his hearing picks up someone needing his help. "I need to go," he tells them and spins on the spot into a blurred whirlwind before reappearing in costume.

"Go get them Superman," Chloe says in encouragement, tongue firmly in cheek.

Clark gives her a dirty look before launching into the air and vanishing in a red/blue blur.

Lois lets out a dreamy sounding sigh as she watches him go.

"Still crushing on him huh?" Chloe assumes.

"In the worst possible way," Lois is willing to admit only to Chloe.

Chloe puts a sympathetic arm across her cousin's shoulders. "It passes," she assures Lois having gone through the experience herself.

"How long did it take you?"

Chloe's face screws up in thought. "Uh...about...7 years...8 tops."

"Oh great. I'll only be a desperate single woman in my 30s by then," Lois grumbles in complaint. She slowly rubs her face with her hand before moving on. "So how's your article going?" Lois asks. Chloe had ended up doing the story on the Slayers while Lois wrote on Superman and was going to follow that up with the other members of Justice...she makes a small face. The name isn't quite right. Needs something...more...extra...something.

Chloe answers Lois question about her article. "Ok. I've got the entire leadership interviewed. Giles gave me the whole history of the Watcher's Council and Slayers. Buffy...isn't talking to me and well from what Clark says anyone really. Not even him."

"They have a fight?"

Chloe looks at her cousin and can see Clark hasn't told her. "Um...not exactly. It's...Clark told me in confidence," she tells her cousin not wanting to break it. Break the fact Buffy is pregnant. Course Chloe already knew it. She had sensed it as she was healing Buffy just before she passed out.

"Fine. Fine. I'll stop probing," Lois promises although she isn't happy at being out of the loop. Since the talk with Clark is done the two cousins head back down to their desks where Lois finds Jimmy waiting at hers. "Olsen," she greets him as he fidgets on the spot, transferring his weight from one foot to the other. "Spit it out Olsen!" she tells him seeing that it is obvious he wants to say something.

"You kissed me," is what Jimmy says.

"That was nearly a week ago," Lois points out wondering why on earth he is raising that now. He should just be thankful they didn't erase his memory as it turned out he mostly took it all ok.

"Why Lois? Why did you kiss me?" Jimmy has to know.

"Because you were babbling like an idiot and I needed to shut you up and my kisses, me being modest here, can bring superheroes to their knees."

Jimmy looks at her sceptically. "That's it?"

"Yes. Why? What did you think?...Oh come on. You didn't?" From Jimmy's face Lois can tell he did think that there was something behind this. "Look Olsen I don't do this often and I won't repeat what I'm about to say so listen good. You're a nice guy and I'm sure there is a perfect girl out there for you but it isn't me. The kiss is just what I said it was. To quote Freud 'Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar'."

Jimmy nods in acceptance of her words.

"Lane! Sullivan! Olsen!" someone shouts their names. All 3 look in the direction it came from to see it is one of Perry's 'Gofers' as in Go-fer that, Go-fer this. "The Chief wants to see you in his office now!" the guy informs them.

Lois looks to Chloe who looks back and both look at Jimmy wondering what this is about.

* * *

"Home sweet home!" Cordy says somewhat wearily as she, Angel, Dawn, Connor and a gaggle of slayers enter the hotel. Sleep had been rare as they helped clean up in Metropolis and they were still sporting injuries from the battle that had not completely healed up.

"Hey boss!" Harmony, the now vampire with the soul, greets her employers. "You survived!" she says with some surprise.

"Really not feeling the love there Harm," Cordy says a bit tetchily.

"How did she get to avoid going again?" Dawn asks, annoyed that she is bruised and battered and Harmony got to stay here and on top of that Dawn is having to deal with the fact she seems to be stuck with the small green colouring on the tip of a part of her hair which Connor assured her suited her but Dawn was having a hard time quite believing him fully.

"Hello! Sunshine! Middle of the day! Vampire! Not a mixy thing Dawnie," Harmony says.

"And she is the one the Powers expect to fulfil the prophecy?" Dawn says unbelieving. "Her? Really?"

Angel lets out a weary breath. Dawn had a point. The vampire with the soul was suppose to play a key part in the...well in Wolfram and Hart's apocalypse. Angel failed to see it in Harmony's case. Not that he is asking to go back to being a vampire. He would if there was no choice but as long as he has a choice he'll stay as he is with the woman he loves.

"Where's Gunn?" Angel asks Harmony. Gunn had been left behind to keep an eye on Harmony. Just because she had a soul didn't mean Angel trusted her.

"I'm not his keeper," Harmony says petulantly.

"Connor," Angel addresses his son. "I'm going to bed but if you find out she did something to Gunn you are free to stake her."

Connor actually grins at that one. "Thanks dad!"

"I didn't do anything to him!" Harmony insists as Angel heads for the stairs. She turns her gaze to Connor who is eyeing her like the hunter he is. "I didn't! I swear!" she says in real genuine fear.

Connor believes Harmony in matter of fact but he isn't about to tell her that. Not until he has had a lot of fun tormenting her.

* * *

A week.

For an immortal a week is not really a long time. For Diana that has seemed doubly true. This last week...she has seen so much. More than she ever thought she would and there is so much more she wants to see, to learn, to know but she knows for certain that she must return home at some point. Her mother is probably going out of her mind with worry.

Diana looks down at the city of Metropolis. There was still so much work to do to rebuild it but Kal had been right about the people. There were so many good ones.

He was an odd man. She found herself quite intrigued. He had so much power yet she had seen him inspire people by his words alone and not force them as he so easily could. He wasn't like the men her Amazon sisters warned her about at all.

"Congratulations on your victory."

Diana spins round to meet that voice. "Lady Hera!" she exclaims in surprise before bowing in the presence of the Goddess.

Hera looks Diana over. The injuries were now completely healed. "You are well?" she inquires.

"Yes. Thank you. I am recovered from the battle."

"That is good."

"You are here to take me home," Diana assumes, her mood now rather solemn.

Hera shakes her head much to Diana's surprise. "No. You see Diana I kept something from you as I wasn't sure you would survive. There didn't seem any reason to raise your hopes unnecessarily."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Diana that you do not have to go home. This battle is not the end. It is merely the beginning. There are other forces of darkness gathering, planning, plotting and if mankind is to survive it will have to learn to live in peace just like the Amazons do and you will be the one who teaches them the Amazon Way."

"Me?" Diana says, clearly unable to accept that she is best placed to do that. She is a warrior. Not a diplomat or a teacher.

"Yes you," Hera confirms. "And by the way this is a decree from Zeus. Refuse it at your own peril."

Diana's eyebrows draw down. She doesn't like being threatened not even by her Goddess. "I..I don't even know where to begin," she admits.

"Yes you do," Hera contradicts her. "You begin by joining forces with the Kryptonian and his allies," she elaborates. "From there...well that is for you to figure out."

Before Diana can ask anything more Hera vanishes leaving her with many questions and few answers but one thing was for certain. Her old life was at an end. The time had come for a new beginning.

* * *

"He's going senile," Ares belittles.

Aphrodite rolls her eyes and lays back in bed next to her lover. "Must you ruin our time together by complaining about Zeus," she complains, sounding rather annoyed...well annoyed for her.

"Cythonna would have destroyed us all and he forbade us to do anything," Ares continues his complaint. "And it is worse for centuries he has had us cooped up here on Olympus. Do you know how many wars I have missed out on?"

"No but I'm certain you have been keeping count," Aphrodite says already starting to sound bored. Ares' obsession with war she found excruciatingly dull. She rolls onto her side and starts pretend drawing little symbols on Ares' chest with her finger. "Come now. I'm sure there are better things we could be doing rather than bemoaning Zeus," she says with less than a subtle hint about returning to their lovemaking.

"You're right. There is," Ares says in agreement causing Aphrodite to smile which then immediately disappears as Ares gets out of bed.

Aphrodite's eyebrows drop way way down as Ares clothes reappear upon the God's body. He's leaving...her! Her! He is actually leaving the bed of the Goddess of Love. She is...insulted and angry and for anyone who knows Aphrodite knows that when you cross her she can be quite spiteful. "What are you doing?" she demands to know.

"What I should have done centuries ago," Ares says with fiery determination. Now if he only applied that passion to their lovemaking Aphrodite would be happy.

Aphrodite studies Ares and realises what he is planning. "You're going to Earth."

"Zeus is a fool. Do you know he let that Amazon Princess stay and try and teach..." Ares makes a face and a sound of disgust, "peace and understanding."

"And?" Aphrodite asks failing to see how any of that is relevant. "Zeus can do as he pleases."

Ares looks at her like she is stupid. "That diminishes my power!" he vents angrily since War fuels his power. "Zeus is making sure I can never threaten him. Well I think it's time for the son to teach the father a lesson. I will destroy the Princess," he proclaims. "I will spread war wide and far across the face of the Earth and it will feed me until my power surpasses Zeus and then I will claim the Throne of Olympus for myself!"

With that Ares vanishes and Aphrodite falls back onto the bed her golden locks bouncing delicately as she does so. She supposes she should tell Zeus what Ares is doing...or...

A delightful mischievous smile comes to her perfect rosy lips. Or she could go to Earth too and ensure balance is maintain. She is Ares' opposite after all. Plus what is the peace and understanding Diana is suppose to teach without love to stand with it.

Aphrodite rises from the bed, her pink dress rising and moulding to her body as she does so. She steps over to a mirror and takes a good few seconds to make sure everything is perfect and as always it is. It is no wonder men have spent their lives trying to replicate her form in art. Her beauty has inspired entire plays to be dedicated solely to her.

Aphrodite waves her hand in front of the mirror and the image within changes to a figure in blue and red flying through the clouds. Aphrodite must say that the Kryptonian looks almost like a God himself soaring across the skies of Earth. An impish smile forms on her lips. She can see herself having a lot of fun with him and now with her going to Earth there is no reason why she cannot.

The previous ways were at an end and it was time for the Goddess of Love to be at the forefront of the new beginning.

Aphrodite vanishes in a glitter of pink rose petals and as she does so laughter, that peals like bells, echoes around.

* * *

"Kent!"

Clark looks up from his computer to find, to his very great surprise, Perry White, Editor in Chief striding purposefully towards his desk. "M-Mr White," he deliberately stutters.

Perry places down a copy of the Planet whose main story was a meeting between Giles, Xander and Faith representing the Slayers and the President in front of Clark. It was part of what was discussed when Justice had that meeting. Giles, Xander, Faith and Willow had been there too. They had been seen. There was no longer any reason to remain hidden or to keep the existence of vampires and demons secret although from what Clark knew the government knew they existed but did their best to keep it away from the general public's knowledge.

Well the cosy consensus was over, the old way of doing things was at an end. It came to an end that day 2 weeks ago when Cythonna made her appearance at the UN and it now was time for a new beginning and in Clark's view it was not before time and in the long run it would be for the best. People were easy prey for vampires because how could they be anything else when you don't know vampires are real. However there had to be some kind of rules to work by or you got chaos. The meeting with the President was about the government officially sanctioning the Slayers to deal with the supernatural minority of the population.

"Turn to page 23 Kent," Perry instructs Clark.

Clark does as he is told and there on page 23, to his own immense surprise, is one of his stories. Clark isn't sure what to say. "I...err...thank you for publishing my story," is what he comes up with.

Perry looks Clark over. "You know Kent I swear you were taller when we first met," he remarks.

Clark pushes his glasses up his nose with his thumb. "Um...well...you know that was a long time ago Mr White...sir," Clark gives the only explanation he can think of and it was a long time ago since he first met Perry White so it is also a plausible explanation.

Perry seems to chew on that for a few moments before deciding to accept that's true and move on. "You know what you lack Kent?"

"No Mr White."

"Confidence, conviction, drive. The things your friends Lane and Sullivan have in buckets. Now do you know what they lack?"

Again Clark says, "No Mr White."

"The common touch. That ability to draw people in by talking to them in their language. In an ideal world I would throw the 3 of you in a blender and get out the perfect reporter but since I can't I'm going to have to do the next best thing. Come with me Kent," he orders Clark.

Clark gets to his feet, pretending to trip over them as he does so and follows Perry to the elevator. They ride up in silence until they reach the main news room, the pinnacle of any reporter that wants to work at the Planet. He follows Perry until they reach two desks. Chloe and Lois' desks since after their reporting of this last little period they got promoted.

The two cousins are chatting away oblivious to Clark and Perry's presence.

"Great Ceasar's Ghost!" Perry exclaims. "Do you two ever stop talking? That is not what I pay you for!"

Lois and Chloe shoot to their feet in an instant. "We were discussing a story," Lois says taking a firm stance in her defence.

"It better be headline material," Perry warns.

Lois snorts derisively. "As if we would write any other kind."

Secretly Perry loves Lois' gumption and the way she stands up for herself against him. Other newbies up here walk around in fear of him. "Well as long as you're talking I'll add another voice to the discussion. Meet your new partner," he informs Lois and Chloe and literally pushes Clark forward.

"You're kidding right?" Lois asks looking less than impressed. Not that she has anything personal against Clark but come on. He's been here like a month when she has been here for years and he gets up here.

"Lane do I look like I'm joking?"

"No," Lois admits.

"Then stop your whining, consider this a new beginning for the 3 of you and get back to work!" Perry commands.

"Yes Chief," Lois says sullenly.

"Lane if I've said it once I've said it a thousand times. Don't call me Chief!" Perry snaps before he heads off to his office.

Chloe moves to Clark and hugs him. "Congratulations Clark...but how did you manage this?"

"I have no idea," Clark says truthfully. His mind is still catching up with how suddenly he is up here.

"Well anyway I'm glad you're here. Just like old times," she says with a nostalgic glow in her eyes.

Clark smiles at that. It will be like old times.

"Lois," Chloe says to get her cousin's attention.

"What?"

"Aren't you going to congratulate Clark," Chloe says in such a manner to tell Lois she isn't getting an option. She congratulates Clark or faces Chloe's wrath.

"Yeah. Yeah. Well done Smallville. Now try not to blow your shot."

Clark frowns a little bit. This seems like more than Lois' usual grating personality. "Well with words of encouragement like that Lois I don't see how I could possibly fail," he snarks back.

Chloe eyes her cousin mentally noting they will be having a talk about whatever this is about later. She pats Clark on his arm. "Come on. Lets find you a desk and then I'll help move your stuff up from the basement," Chloe offers.

As the two friends leave Lois sits back down and drops her head into her hands. Great. How the hell is she suppose to get over her feelings for Clark when she is now going to be seeing him every day? Lois just know that someone, somewhere is having a big laugh at her expense.

* * *

Clark lands back at the farm after work and spots Buffy sitting in the loft in the barn looking out the window. Two weeks and they still hadn't talked about it. Last time Clark tried it ended in a blazing row about how she couldn't keep living in denial. Clark had never meant for it to degenerate into them slinging insults at each other but Buffy has always been able to raise his passions. After all he did fall in love with her literally days after first meeting her.

He zips into the house and gets changed into a more casual t-shirt and jeans before he strides into the barn. She doesn't even look but he knows she knows he is here. He walks up the steps and sits down next to her.

"I spoke to Xander today," she says.

Clark is pleasantly surprised by the lack of hostility in her tone. Buffy sometimes could take days for her temper to cool off. "Yes. How is he doing?"

"Oh you know Xander. Making some inappropriate jokes about being a liaison to the government."

"He compared himself to Beast from X-Men 3 didn't he."

The corner of Buffy's lips curve up slightly. "Yeah," she confirms. Her smile then falls. "They also got a final count of how many girls we lost in the battle."

Clark's heart feels heavy with sorrow that he hadn't been able to prevent that or the hundreds of deaths of innocent people during Cythonna's attack. Metropolis...it was going to take years to rebuild but they would rebuild. The Mayor had already talked about making Metropolis greater than it was before. Clark was going to help of course and while he is at it make sure Lex doesn't take advantage to get even more of the city under his control.

However that is an aside for the moment. Right now he is more concerned with how Buffy is coping with losing her sister slayers. He puts an arm across her shoulder and pulls her close. She doesn't resist. "How many?" he asks feeling one is too many but he just wants her to say it so it is off her chest.

"A fifth of them," she reports.

Clark closes his eyes. There are...were 1800 slayers roughly so that equates to a good 350 of them killed. "I'm sorry," he says softly.

Clark feels Buffy lean into him more and hears a quiet half-repressed sob. She is trying to be strong as always. Clark simply holds her as they sit in silence for awhile.

Buffy eventually breaks the silence. "How?" she asks.

"How...?" Clark repeats having no idea what she means.

"How...you and I...baby? We were so careful this time," she says, her voice breaking with emotion. They had been really careful. More so than when they were together before because they had agreed that emotionally neither of them was ready to try again for a baby now that they knew they could indeed conceive one.

Clark lets out a breath. "Angry sex," is his reply.

"Oh," is all Buffy can manage to say to that. Yes. Right. Angry sex in the middle of a field with no forethought given to contraception. "Will it be her?" she asks. Her being Karen. She wants to know if this baby is somehow the daughter they lost.

"I...don't know," is the only answer Clark can give. Logically he knows it can't be. Karen died when evil Willow in the future caused Buffy to miscarry but in this scenario screw logic.

Buffy has been trying to work out her feelings for 2 weeks but couldn't. This inability to sort out her feelings made her snap at Clark more than once. It had hurt so much when she lost Karen. She had long given up on the idea of children. Her lifestyle just didn't add up to settling down which just made it hurt all the worse when she finally got that very thing and then lost it. "I don't know if I can do this Clark," she admits with that very rare thing for Buffy detectable in her voice; fear.

Clark squeezes her tighter to him. "I know you can and you know why?"

Buffy shakes her head.

"Because we'll be facing it together and we won't anything let us drive us apart this time," he vows unlike last time when the First managed to push them into breaking up.

"It'll be back you know," Buffy points out in relation to the First.

"Let it because it is only a matter of time until we put it back where it belongs."

His words and phrasing catch Buffy's interest. "What do you mean?"

"Remember what I told you about the Source Wall. That it contains the deities from the previous 3 universes."

"Yeah," Buffy says although forgive her if she never got her mind completely round the concept.

"The **First **Evil," he says placing a strong emphasis on the 'First' part. "Get it. I think it's trying to be funny or ironic or something."

"Cryptic still makes Buffy's brain hurt."

Clark chuckles at that. "Sorry. The **First **Evil," he repeats. "The **First **World. It took me awhile before I made the connection. The First...it's a God of the First World or at least the remnant of one that somehow managed to separate itself from its physical form which must be imprisoned in the Wall. That is supposedly meant to be impossible. Nothing is suppose to be able to escape but I'm pretty certain I'm right. Just as I'm pretty certain that one day we'll figure out a way to send it back."

"You mean...there really is a way to beat it once and for all?" Buffy asks him to confirm.

"Well as soon as we figure out a way to capture an incorporeal entity and transport it across space and imprison it back into its body, which is one amongst countless thousands and we have no idea where it is precisely."

"So nothing difficult then," Buffy quips. "Especially not for you Mr Stupendous-Man."

Clark looks down and sees that impish mischievous smile that is so uniquely Buffy. He rolls his eyes. "Now don't you start," he warns her off making fun of his new name. "It was Lois' idea. Not mine."

"But it's so fitting," she argues.

"You are asking for trouble Missy."

"Ooh. I certainly hope so."

"You won't be saying that for long when I have you labelled forever as my sidekick."

"I am not your sidekick dammit!" Buffy snaps.

Clark can't stop the rumble of laughter. She is so easy to rile up.

Buffy slaps him across his broad chest.

"Oh hey. Ow!" he protests.

"Serves you right."

Clark drops a kiss on the top of her head. "Ok. I'm sorry," he apologises. "How are you doing?"

"I'm going to get fat," she complains with a pout.

Clark is going to take that as she is doing ok and moving forward in accepting she is pregnant.

"And my ankles will swell up," she whines. "It's not fair. I have great ankles."

"I agree."

Buffy lets out a sigh and speaks in a softer more serious voice. "It doesn't matter if it's Karen or not. As long as it's ours. That's what matters."

"I agree with that too." Clark then reaches into his pocket and holds the object he takes out in front of Buffy's face.

Buffy's eyes light up. It's her engagement ring. The one with the diamond Clark made with his bare hands. She takes it from him and looks at it closely. She smiles and slips it onto her finger and then looks at it once more sitting there where it belongs. Clark didn't ask. He didn't need to. Although she expects celebratory sex later.

"So shall we tell them?" he asks meaning do they tell their friends and family that they're engaged again and that Buffy is pregnant.

Buffy leans into Clark and snuggles into him. "Tell them tomorrow," she decides. "Tonight all I want is you."

All Buffy has wanted since shortly after she met him was him. She remembers there he was all tall and blue eyed and gorgeous stepping into the place she was waitering at while she took some time off after Sunnydale's collapse. Then she learned just how much like her he was. All alone and special and stuck with some supposed destiny. Then he plied her with that farm boy charm of his and she was hopelessly lost. Two lonely souls finding each other and now entwined together forever. The product of the joining now the new life growing inside her.

Funnily Clark has no problem with Buffy wanting him. He wants her. Has done since practically he laid eyes upon her. So beautiful and full of passion yet under it all soft and understanding. She has always gotten him in a way few other people have even come close to because she is like him. Different and not quite living in the same world as the rest of humanity. After a short time with her he couldn't have stopped himself falling in love with her if he tried. After their meeting in Smallville their lives...their destinies have been entwined together and despite the ups and downs Clark would not have it any other way.

"I love you," Buffy says.

"I love you too," Clark replies.

The two share a kiss.

Buffy's ring sparkles in the light of the setting sun.

This is the end of one journey. The Evil that tried to tear them apart, tried to destroy them has been beaten.

Now it is time for the Last Son and the Slayer to embark on a new journey together and together no force of evil be it god or mortal will stop them.

* * *

_Author's Note: This is the penultimate chapter and tries to show the end of the fight with Cythonna is just the beginning of the new chapter of their lives. Clark has his hero name. He and Lois have their partnership at the Planet. The Justice League is now a public organisation. New threats in Ares and Darkseid begin their plans and poor Clark will soon be trying to fend off Aphrodite's attention. Buffy's pregnancy...you'll see in the next chapter what the product of that is. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; Epilogue._


	81. Part 4 Chapter 35: Epilogue

Chapter 35: Epilogue

Buffy opens her eyes groggily and tries to reacquaint herself with where she is. The broad expanse of her husband's chest upon which she lies answers part of that question.

10 years of marriage had not lessened her appreciation of the perfect specimen of masculinity that Clark is. If anything as his body 'matured' he was simply getting more magnificent to look at. Unable to help herself she plants kisses all over his chest mere seconds before strong hands flip her over onto her back and she finds a very interested Kryptonian male looking down at her.

"Now you know what kind of trouble that gets you into," he says playfully.

Buffy grins impishly. "Well I can always just shout 'Help Superman!'"

"I'm pretty certain he can't help you on this occasion."

Buffy links her hands round his neck while his hands slowly caress her body. Her eyelids flutter and she lets out a low moan. "Well I'm thinking that maybe this is one occasion I want the bad guy to have his wicked way with me."

Clark kisses her neck while she wraps her legs around his waist. "Hmm. Didn't we do the role playing thing on our last anniversary?"

"It was your idea," she reminds him.

Clark stops and raises his head to look at her. "Uh no," he disagrees with her. "It was completely your idea after we met our evil doubles from that parallel universe."

Buffy makes a face. "She was a total skank."

"Um...Buffy honey. She was you."

Buffy scoffs loudly. "She was in no way me," she insists. "I wouldn't be caught dead in that dominatrix theme she had going."

Buffy really doesn't want to relive it but lets just say it involved outfits in black leather and the liberal use of a riding crop. Anyway she realises he has gotten her off topic. She presses her lips back to his and resumes kissing him deeply but slowly taking her time to relearn exactly how he tastes and feels.

The two of them were alone up at the Fortress taking some time to reconnect after Clark had come back from the dead after Doomsday killed him.

That had been the worse month of Buffy's life because she assumed that that was it. That Clark was dead and not coming back due to the fact of what she saw in that once upon a time possible but no more future with Dark Willow holding sway over the globe.

However since they avoided that, Willow was happy and still good...mostly, it seemed everything had changed. Clark didn't stay dead although no-one can quite work out how. Not even Clark knew how.

However he did have a hard time adjusting to being back alive which Buffy of course understood perfectly having gone through that herself. Despite that it had still put their relationship under great strain and they had only just gotten it back to that place of gooey goodness. Sorting it out in the end had involved Buffy having to take her turn in taking a trip through Clark's mind like he did in hers long ago.

Clark's mind was a weird place and seriously his obsession with Lana during his teenage years bordered on the unhealthy/stalker-esque end of the spectrum and on top of that while in there she got to meet Clark's never to be forgotten id personality 'Kal' and the 'Kal-El' Jor-El created once upon a time when he brainwashed Clark so good time was had by all.

Note the extreme sarcasm used there but Buffy did find it quite informative and in the end she did get to the root of Clark's issues which revolved in the end about his fear of living forever and watching the people he loves die. Buffy got to see the nightmare of his where he stands all alone in an endless graveyard and yeah she could see why that would freak him out. It freaked her out and she has spent a great deal of her life around graveyards. Well anyway they got to the root of his problem and once that was sorted they started to bring him back to himself which brings her back to where she began about her and Clark taking some time to be alone and reconnecting in every way possible.

* * *

Several hours later after falling asleep utterly exhausted Buffy stretches out her overused muscles. One thing about Clark he certainly helps keep her in shape. She sits up and looks around only this time Clark is gone and she is floating above the bed.

"One of these days I'll stop doing that," she tells herself as she lowers herself to the floor, landing softly on her bare feet. The floating had started when she was pregnant. Mothers and their babies exchange blood through the womb so in a sense she ended up with Kryptonian blood in her veins. Combine that with the supernatural energy that gives her her uber-slayer powers and what you end up with is an uber-uber-slayer whose powers ended up even more enhanced than they were before.

Not quite on a Kryptonian's level but she could run and fly faster then sound and she could lift several thousand tons. It had helped fend off the varying threats they had faced over the years. Lex and his constant scheming primarily along with the New God Darkseid who tried to use her to enslave the universe. Watching a frankly pissed off Clark unleash a butt whoopin' on him was a joy to behold. Clark when he was angry...Buffy doubts there is any force in the universe that could stop him.

Buffy silently walks through the Fortress looking for Clark. The cold doesn't really bother her anymore. She finds Clark in the 'Sun Chamber' where concentrated sunlight was focussed in to help recharge and heal his body. She walks up and wraps her arms around him from behind.

"You left me all alone," she says with a pout.

Clark turns round and pulls her close to him. "Sorry," he apologises, kissing her on the top of her head. "Couldn't sleep," he explains.

"Still having nightmares?" she asks with worry. He had been having frequent nightmares since his resurrection, mostly revolving around Doomsday.

"Yes," he confesses to her. Buffy is the only one he has found himself able to confess in and when he first came back from the dead he didn't do that which led to their marital problems. He just felt so...numb and he knew Buffy understood but he lacked the ability to empathise at all with anything. It had been a long road back to this point and he still wasn't back 100% to the way he was but the really important part was that he and Buffy had sorted out most of their issues.

The last few days here, alone, had been wonderful. Perhaps better than their honeymoon.

He lets out a sad sigh. "Back to the real world today," he points out for as much as he would love to stay here with Buffy they had responsibilities to return to. Not least of which was their only child.

Buffy closes her eyes and lets out a sigh at that too. She closes her eyes and listens to his heart beat, a sound she thought she would never hear again. "I'm getting too old for all that," she says which is not far off the truth. Slayers were not suppose to live into their mid 30s. She certainly never expected to make it here.

Clark grins goofily at her. "You don't look that old although..." his eyes narrow slightly as if looking at something, "Is that a wrinkle?"

Buffy's eyes shoot open. "What!" she screams before blurring out of Clark's arms to the nearest mirror.

By the time Clark catches her she is peering intently at her reflection looking for said wrinkle. He can't stop himself laughing. Sometimes she was just too easy.

Buffy turns to face him, her face like thunder as his laughter tells her he was winding her up. She places her hands on her hips. "Tell me again why I'm still married to you?"

"You can't resist my farm boy charm?" he puts forward innocently.

"Keep telling yourself that Kent," she snorts.

"Ok firstly you have got to stop hanging around Lois. You're picking up her lines and secondly which Kent are you referring to...Mrs Kent?"

"I never agreed to that name," she insists.

"Yeah ya did when you said 'I do'." He then walks forward to her and rubs her arms with his hands. He speaks softly but seriously. "And I'm eternally grateful that you did say that."

"Me too," she speaks earnestly. She then slaps him hard across his chest. "However tease me about wrinkles again and I'll hit you harder than that next time," she threatens albeit jokily so.

Clark brings his index and middle finger to his temple and gives her a salute. "Yes ma'am."

Ooh. Buffy wishes he hadn't said that. She finds it such a turn on when he calls her ma'am and they really don't have time if they are going to get back when they agreed to.

Oh to hell with it. They can be a few minutes late she decides as she jumps him.

* * *

**Smallville...**

Martha Kent checks the clock one more time to see that Clark and Buffy are an hour late. A subtle smile comes to her lips. To be honest she was happy if they were late because in her mind that meant they were doing well.

She sips on her tea as she reads the paper. It was full of the usual really. Criminals being stopped by the ever expanding Justice League. There were still stories about Superman's miraculous return from the dead. That had been the worse month in Martha's life since she lost Jonathan but thank God Clark had come back to them all.

Martha gets up to put her cup in the sink, her joints protesting slightly as she does so. Age catches up with all of us at some point. The ever increasing amounts of visible grey in her hair was evidence of that.

As she puts her cup away out the window she spots Clark and Buffy landing smiling, laughing and looking very much like a couple in love. Martha smiles in response. She gives it 5 seconds.

1...2...3...4...

"Mommy! Daddy!" a voice squeals in joy as a blur emerges from the barn and runs right at Buffy and Clark.

Clark bends down and catches the blur which turns into a blue eyed, blond haired ten year old girl. He then swings her around a few times all the time smiling at one of the most precious people in his life.

"Stop hogging my daughter Clark," Buffy protests.

Clark kisses the girl's cheek and hands her over to Buffy who holds the girl close. After losing her once she was never going to lose her again and it made Buffy appreciate every second of the miracle her and Clark's daughter is.

"You been a good girl for Grandma Karen?" Clark asks as he smooths some of her blond hair down.

"Yes daddy," she says looking far too innocent, a look she inherited from her mother or at least that is Clark's current working theory.

Karen and yes it is Karen by some miracle or quirk of fate or simply time itself trying to restore something that should never have been taken away in the first place. Shortly after her birth Clark had gone to see Dr Fate due to something the sorcerer had said when they first met about Karen Summers-Kent as Clark knew her being lost forever. Dr Fate had explained it by pointing out the following. The Karen Clark met in the future was the product of a girl who had lost her mother as a baby and her father when she was 11 and grew up in an apocalyptic world. In that sense that version of Karen could never come to be as Buffy had not died and Willow had not gone crazy.

Clark and Buffy, still carrying her daughter, enter the house and greet Martha.

"Enjoy your vacation?" Martha asks them.

"Oh yeah," Buffy says too readily which makes Clark blush since she said that in front of his mother. Martha just smiles politely and decides to spare her son the embarrassment on this occasion.

"Mommy?" Karen queries.

"Yes," Buffy says with a smile. She always smiles around Karen.

"I drew a picture for you and daddy. Wanna see?"

"Of course honey."

Buffy finally puts Karen down and the blond girl blurs off and reappears a few seconds later with a coloured picture depicting lots of familiar people standing in a green field with the sun in the sky. It was really quite good for a 10 year old.

Buffy and Clark sit on the floor as Karen explains her drawing to them. Buffy laughs at the image of Dawn Karen drew because it showed Dawn's current state i.e. a large round middle to reflect Dawn's pregnancy.

Dawn was still with Connor believe it or not or maybe it isn't so unbelievable. Connor is Angel's son right down to the matching scowl and not dissimilar personality that has an effect on Summers women. Angel was...well he was still out there helping the helpless with Cordelia at his side using the visions she receives to continue to beat back the influence of Wolfram and Hart. That's a long slow battle.

The same one in a way Clark and the Justice League fight. Wolfram and Hart like to keep people blinded and indifferent to the evil in the world. Clark and the JL try to inspire people that that fight is one everyone has to fight every day by simply not looking the other way, not accepting corruption as a given or that nothing can be done. Something can be done if you simply try.

* * *

After lunch that day, Buffy is outside playing with Karen when she stops for a minute as Clark walks out of the house talking animatedly on the phone. Had to be Lois. Only Lois got him scowling that intensely. Lois hadn't changed. Still chasing stories no matter how much danger she got herself into that Clark usually ended up having to get Lois out of.

Chloe had mentioned that what Lois needed was a man to try and reign her in a bit. Not that Chloe meant it in a bad way. Just someone who can get Lois to look at herself and realise when she is pushing too far. Last she checked Chloe was trying to set Lois up with Perry White's nephew Richard.

Chloe and Willow were good. Almost sickeningly sweet around each other still.

Clark ends his phone call.

"Lois?" Buffy asks him.

Clark nods. "Lois," he confirms.

"It can't be that bad," she says. "I thought she was in Washington covering the conference."

"She is but you know Lois. She found trouble anyway although I could blame Faith."

Buffy groans. Faith and Lois together was bad. Poor Xander was going to end up in an early grave. "I thought Faith wasn't going to this conference. In fact after last year she said you couldn't drag her there short of drugging her up and carrying her there."

Clark shrugs. He has no answer with him being dead and all he missed a lot of the planning for the conference this year. The annual conference where the Slayers meet world representatives to give them all a review of the supernatural world.

"Who did the League send again?" Buffy asks having forgotten.

"Diana."

"Ah. Good speech?"

"Yes. I was just watching it. The Madame Ambassador gave her usual polished performance."

Diana was the Ambassador for her homeland these days which was a far cry from the person Diana was when Clark first met her when she was more a warrior than anything else. It was like he told Bruce though all those years ago. Diana just needed to adjust to the world and when she did the caring, compassionate person she really is shone through. Although Diana still is and will always be royalty and she carries herself in that manner.

Buffy shakes her head and chuckles lightly. Clark only calls Diana 'Madame Ambassador' to wind her up. He repeatedly calls her Princess for the same reason despite Diana numerous requests and threats to inflict mortal harm upon him for him to stop.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Karen yells leaping up and down to get his attention.

Clark looks at his daughter with a warm smile and a warm feeling swelling his heart. "Yes sweetheart."

"Can we go flying? Mommy said we couldn't."

"Did she now?" Clark says with a grin knowing he can get one over on Buffy as far as Karen is concerned.

"It's daytime!" Buffy points out as in they risk being seen.

Clark bends down and picks Karen up. "Mommy's being a big meanie-head isn't she?"

Karen giggles and nods.

"Better than being a big poohead," Buffy mutters under her breath.

Karen hears her though and covers her mouth as she giggles some more. "Oh daddy. Mommy swore!"

"I heard," Clark says. "I think she needs to get the tickle punishment. What do you say?"

"Yay!" Karen cheers and leaps out of her father's arms as she and Clark start to chase Buffy around the farm.

Martha comes to stand on the porch as she watches them with a broad smile on her face. Her only sad thought is that Jonathan is not here to see this.

* * *

**Metropolis...**

That night Buffy stands at the doorway to Karen's room leaning against the frame as she watches Clark read Karen their daughter's bedtime story. Once done he plants a tiny kiss on Karen's forehead. Buffy walks in and does the same before they both make sure she is tucked in.

Clark and Buffy quietly walk out as Karen's hearing while not super is well above a human's. They gently close the door.

"You know you spoil her," Buffy points out as the two of walk down the stairs of their house in Metropolis.

"And you don't?" Clark hits back with.

"Course I do," Buffy says with a grin. "She's my little girl."

"Not so little anymore."

"God I know. It seems like only yesterday I was screaming at you during labour."

"For my hand it still feels like yesterday," Clark says making a pained expression and shaking said hand out. Buffy had come close to breaking it.

She elbows him in the ribs for that one.

They reach the lounge and sit down together on the couch.

"How are you doing really Clark?" Buffy asks him, her voice inflected with a soft earnest tone conveying her wish for him to be completely honest about how he is feeling.

"I have you and I have her and that is all I need so I'm doing fine."

"Do...have you remembered anything?" she wonders since Clark's memory of the afterlife was sketchy at best which is why he doesn't know how or why he is back.

Clark shakes his head. Buffy takes one of his hands into her own. "Well if you do know that I'm here for you."

Clark kisses her gently. "I know," he says in a whisper. He leans into her and she holds him. "So when were you going to tell me?" he suddenly asks her.

"What?" she asks completely lost, having no idea what he is on about.

Clark looks her directly in the eye. "Come on Buffy," he prompts her. "Superhearing. X-ray vision."

"What?" she repeats.

"You don't know," he realises and then bursts out laughing long and hard. Probably the most he has laughed since he came back from the dead.

Buffy's expression is one of utter bafflement. "What's so funny?"

Clark's laughter eases and he places one of Buffy's hands on her stomach. "Lets just say Karen will be getting some company soon."

Realisation dawns on Buffy and her eyes almost pop out of their sockets. "You mean...we're..."

Clark nods as an enormous smile grows.

"But...uh...we...tried...after Karen and we couldn't...it never..."

It is always amazingly strange to see Buffy lost for words. What she means is that they did try to give Karen a little brother or sister but they never could seem to conceive another baby. It seemed like Karen was a one-off miracle...until right now.

Buffy leans her head back and groans. "Great. You know how long it took me to get back into shape after Karen. My ass was huge after her!"

"No it wasn't," Clark assures her. "It was just more of you to love," he teases.

Buffy fixes him a dirty look. "Keep saying stuff like that and I'll be a single mother Clark because I'll be killing you."

"Oh like I haven't heard that one before," he says with a theatrical roll of his eyes.

"Pregnant or not Clark I can still kick your ass."

"Only because you know I won't fight back. That's hardly fair now is it."

Buffy hits him with a cushion.

"Oh hey easy. Those are new," he complains and hitting them off him risks destroying them. Clark takes a moment before he puts his arms around his wife. "Are you ok?" he asks her more seriously.

"Yeah," she says with a smile starting to form. The image of a little brother or sister for Karen is truly a happy one.

"I love you," Clark tells her. "And death will never stop that," he promises her.

"I love you too," Buffy tells him. "And I am so getting my record back," she promises him in regards to who has died more often.

Clark chuckles taking it in the humour she meant it. "You are welcome to try."

The two share a kiss and with another baby on the way their Entwined Destinies begins a new chapter.

The End.

* * *

_Author's Note: The End. The absolute end. After over 3 years it's finished. Although I don't rule out one-shots set in this universe in the future and I don't rule out exploring the alternate end to this story where Buffy dies. In either case it'll be awhile before I come back to it. Thank you...a big thank you to those who have followed this from the beginning. I hope you have enjoyed it and I thank you for and have enjoyed all your reviews._


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